Our Past Is Present November 30, 2018

November 30, 2018

            You are reading “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.

            Tom Allen Cullinan was Junction City’s famous lawman.  People called him “Tom Allen”.  He kept the peace with his fists.  Tom and his family arrived in Geary County in 1866.  He had had a contract to supply beef to the army at Fort Riley.  However, in 1871, he became the Marshall of Junction City through a circumstance, which was typical of his way of doing things.  He had been mainly responsible for the election of an easy-going “Marshall” to the office.  This Marshall was soon in trouble and Tom volunteered to straighten things up if the Marshall would deputize him.  Tom was deputized and his first duty was to subpoena witnesses in impeachment proceedings against the Marshall. However, by nightfall Tom had the Marshall’s resignation.  Tom did this to prevent his friend from scandal and humiliation.

            Shortly after this, in the mid 1870’s, Tom Allen Cullinan was appointed Junction City’s Marshall by Mayor Robert O. Rizer and from then until his death in 1904 he served in that capacity.

            Marshall “Tom Allen” is posed in the famous Pennell picture used in the opening of the tv series “Cheers”.  We have a copy of that picture hanging in the lobby of our Museum.  The picture was taken at the Horseshoe Saloon at what is now 805 N. Washington Street which currently houses the Adolescent Resource Center.

            And…that’s today’s story on “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.