01/02/2026
Robert McKillican (1842-1927) was Alameda County’s ninth Sheriff and served one term during 1893 and 1894. Born in Canada, he came to California in 1865. Before his election, he was a well-known building contractor and prominent member of the Democratic Party. As Sheriff, McKillican enacted a number of reforms. One of which was banning alcoholic beverages in the jail. While serving as Sheriff, he was also the President of the Hancock Fire Brigade, a volunteer fire company in Oakland. During his tenure Sheriff McKillican’s jail staff foiled an escape attempt before it began by finding metal hacksaw files above the cell's ceiling. The greatest challenge for the Sheriff during his last year was maintaining law and order during the 1894 national railroad strike. Since Oakland was a major rail center there were many instances of demonstrations and disorder, especially near the 16th Street Station. Eventually National Guard troops were called in to maintain order. While there were no fatalities in the county related to the strike, there were many arrests which caused the county jail to be filled to overflow occupancy. In the November 1894 elections with four people running for Sheriff, McKillican came in third and lost the office to C. B. White.
