(From the Hancock Historical Museum)
Pack a lunch and join the Hancock Historical Museum on Thursday, September 4, 2025, at noon for a Brown Bag Lecture presented by Tom Davis, retired detective sergeant of the Findlay Police Department and a third-generation public servant deeply rooted in the community.
Davis’s presentation will touch on the early history of the Findlay Police Department, which began to take shape in December 1853 when the town established a police force to replace the council-appointed marshal. The department was officially created in 1888 during the height of the oil boom, with 16 officers under the leadership of Chief John Bly. Officers were paid $28 per month, and by 1890 the force had grown to 24 men confronting the lawlessness of a boomtown—public intoxication, theft, assault, gambling, and worse. By 1924, the department modernized with the purchase of its first police car, a Studebaker Special 6 Touring.
In addition to this history, Davis will share his insider knowledge of three murder cases from the 1960s and 1970s that left a mark on the community and the department.
Tom Davis was born in Findlay and raised in the Village of Arlington. His law enforcement career spans 53 years, including 45 years with the Findlay Police Department. He began his public service journey in 1970 as a dispatcher for the Seneca County Sheriff’s Department while studying criminal justice. After serving six years in the United States Army Reserves and a stint with the Tiffin Police Department, Davis joined Findlay PD in 1978. He retired from full-time duty in 2000 but continued serving as an auxiliary officer, and later took roles as Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator for the City of Findlay Health Department and Director of Risk Management and Safety for Hancock County Commissioners.
Though now “fully, kind of retired,” Davis remains active in the community, offering guided tours of the Hancock County Courthouse, performing John Hancock reenactments, volunteering locally, and playing drums in several area bands. Public service is a family tradition for Davis, whose grandfather Carl Davis served as Mayor and Marshall of Arlington, while other relatives held roles with the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the U.S. Marines, and as Hancock County Sheriff.
The Brown Bag Lecture Series takes place at noon on the first Thursday of each month, featuring topics relevant to Hancock County and Ohio history. Admission is free for museum members; nonmembers pay regular museum admission. No registration is required. For more information, visit HancockHistoricalMuseum.org or call 419-423-4433.
