local law enforcement officer; law enforcement; holidays and celebrations
Marker Year
1967
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
No
Marker Location
SE corner Chestnut and S. 1st streets. Marker faces Chestnut Street.
Private Property
No
Marker Condition
In Situ
Marker Size
18" x 28"
Marker Text
(1848-1922) Here each New Year's Eve at midnight for thirty-seven years John J. Clinton, Abilene chief of police, emptied his revolver. He began in 1885, decreeing that saloons close at midnight, and that trigger-happy cowboys and townsmen observe the curfew. After saloon era passed, his practice became a commemoration. Ireland-born Clinton was a Confederate soldier; later scout for U.S. Army, was wounded at "The Fight for the Water Hole." He was policeman at Dodge City, Kansas, then served Abilene until his death. Men respected him for his courage and integrity. (1967)
