1940’s Young Arlington Police Department
As a little girl growing up in her grandmother’s care in Washington, DC, Jean Estes Truman’s parents decided they would move to Arlington and live with Jean’s Uncle Fritz and Aunt Agnes around 1949. Their new home was unique since it was above the county jail where Theodore William “Fritz” Frederick was a jailer. Fritz began as an Arlington police officer in 1939 with the first class of county officers then moved to the Sheriff’s department in 1947.
Among the photos are the guestbook signed pages from Fritz’s retirement party in December 1963. It reads as a Who’s Who in the 1963 legal world of Arlington starting with Judge Walter McCarthy. Also included is a rare photo of Fritz at the door of one of Arlington’s most notorious citizen’s, George Lincoln Rockwell; a fun photo of Fritz being presented a parting gift by one of Arlington’s most famous former natives, Frank Ball; and Jean’s own favorite photo, her riding her bike on the roof of the old jail where inmates were able to spend outdoor time.
Enjoy and thank you, Jean, for donating these great images to AHS.
