"Gunsmoke" (1955) - Review & Commentary

[user328]

S2 E25

Matt's superior officer from Washington came to Dodge trying to tell Matt how to run the town, and almost got himself tarred and feathered. lol

This almost certainly couldn't have happened. There was no central supervisory organization for U.S. Marshals until well into the 20th century. Marshals were usually selected from the community where they lived, and operated mostly independently, trying to balance the authority of the U.S. government with the expectations of the general public in the territory where they served. Marshals had renewable four-year terms, and didn't want to get on the bad side of their neighbors, who they would still have to live with when their term expired.

The office of Chief Marshal was established in 1961.

https://www.usmarshals.gov/