William E. Cullen
History of Montana,by Joaquin Miller, 1894
May be copied for non-profit purposes.
USGENWEB Montana Archives

William E. Cullen, of Helena, a pioneer and prominent member 
of the bar of Montana was born in Mansfield Ohio June 30, 1837. 
He comes of Scotch ancestry. His great-grandfather emigrated from 
Edinburgh Scotland to this county in 1768 and was a Greek 
professor in one of the early colleges of Pennsylvania. John Cullen, the professor's son was born in 
that State and his eldest son Thomas W. Cullen was also born and 
educated there. Thomas W. Cullen was a manufacturer of woolen goods 
in Pennsylvania and he and his wife whose maiden name was Isabella 
Morrison and whom he wedded in that State in 1805 moved to Ohio 
in 1835, where they were respected citizens and members of the 
Episcopal Church for many years. She died in her sixtieth year 
and he in his seventy-seventh.

They reared a family of five children, all of whom are living, 
William E. being the oldest.Judge Cullen, as the subject of our 
sketch is familiarly called, resided with his parents until his
sixteenth year, and up to that time attended the public schools. 
He was then sent to an academy for three years. At the end of the 
three years he went to Minnesota, where he received the appointment 
ofSuperintendent of Instruction for the Winnebago Indians. For 
two years he held this position, and during this period all his 
leisure time was spent in the study of law. He then entered the 
office of Judge Charles E. Flandreau, at that time Associate 
Justice of the Supreme Court of Minnesota, and under the 
instructions of this noted lawyer he continued his studies. 
In June 1862 he was admitted to the Minnesota bar. During the 
Sioux outrages in that State he entered the service as 2nd Lt. 
and in that capacity served through the campaign. He began the 
practice of his profession at St. Peter, Minnesota
and soon afterward formed a law partnership with Major S.A. 
Buell, a brother of General Buell.
 
They continued in business together until 1866 at which time Mr. 
Cullen came to the Territory of Montana.
He crossed the plains with oxen and in an expedition commanded 
by Colonel James Fish, Helena being reached in August 1866. Here 
Mr. Cullen at once began the practice of his profession. The 
following year he was elected a member of the Legislative Council 
of the Territory, consisting at that time of seven members 
it being the first Legislative Assembly to meet in Montana 
after the amendment of the laws in 1866. Since then he has several 
times served as a member of the Legislature. In 1867 he became 
associated with the practice of law with H.P. Smith, who had been 
previously banished from Montana by the Vigilant Committee 
for his too zealous defense of the road agents. Mr. Smith was a 
man of very ardent temperament and threw his whole soul into 
the cases which he espoused, and for this reason had to leave, 
but after the excitement died out he returned and remained 
unmolested. They remained in business together until Mr.Smith's 
health gave out and he died in Helena in 1870. In 1876 Judge 
Cullen became associated with Colonel Wilbur F. Sanders. 

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