Background
Callahan was born near Salem, Dent County, Missouri, on December 19, 1852. He was reared on the farm where he was born, educated in the common schools, and worked on a farm.
Callahan was born near Salem, Dent County, Missouri, on December 19, 1852. He was reared on the farm where he was born, educated in the common schools, and worked on a farm.
In 1885 he moved to Stanton County, Kansas, where he lived until 1892. In 1886, a year after he moved to Kansas, he was elected register of deeds for Stanton County. He was reelected in 1888 and served until December 1889, when he resigned and returned to Dent County, Missouri.
In 1892 he moved to Kingfisher County, Oklahoma, settling near the town of Kingfisher.
He engaged in agricultural pursuits. In 1896, Callahan was nominated for Congressional delegate from Oklahoma Territory, and was elected by a plurality of less than fifteen hundred, running on the Free Silver ticket to the 55th United States Congress.
He served from March 4, 1897 to March 3, 1899, but was not a candidate for re-nomination in 1898. After leaving politics, Callahan relocated to Enid, Garfield County, Oklahoma, where he published the Jacksonian until January 1, 1913.
He retired from active business pursuits in 1913.
Callahan resided in Enid, Oklahoma until his death there on May 3, 1935 (age 82 years, 135 days). He is interred at Enid Cemetery.