Walker Independence premiere: Who is Allan Pinkerton?

Spoilers ahead of the Walker Independence premiere

Walker Independence has finally land on The CW, bringing a new era of period drama to the network with it. Set in the late 1800s, the series follows Abigail Walker, a recently widowed woman who’s seeking justice. Her husband was murdered right in front of her, and she’s sure it was the newly appointed sheriff of Independence, TX who killed him.

Determined to bring the truth to light, she’s set to embark on an investigation to prove Tom Davidson killed Liam in cold blood and established himself as the authority in town to cover it up. What Abby is unaware of, however, is that she’s not the only one looking into the happenings in town. Her new acquaintance, Kate Carver, is doing more than dancing at Hagan’s saloon.

Kate’s friendly nature may be a cover, it may not, but it’s certainly a means for her to get closer to people expediently. Her use of endearments and touch is likely a way to get people to trust her so that she can get information from them. She’s the first person Abby encounters in town, and she immediately strikes up a rapport with her.

By the end of the premiere, it’s revealed that Kate is sending a message to a man by the name of Allan Pinkerton. The message contains a list of what’s occurred over the past few days in Independence. Who is Allan and what does Kate’s note to him say about her ulterior motives? Here’s what we know!

Walker Independence: Who is Allan Pinkerton?

Allan Pinkerton is a real life historical figure. According to the National Park Service, he was an abolitionist and the founder of the North-Western Police Agency which proceeded his Pinkerton Detective Agency. He’s credited with having established the first private detective agency in America.

Known for his work during the Civil War as the chief of intelligence for the Union commander George McClellan, Pinkerton was a master of spy craft. He used his skills to foster a force of intelligence operatives that were vital to the government and the public. His agents, which included women and minorities, were in the business of information collection.

The agency’s motto, “We never sleep,”  and it’s logo which is an unblinking eye, became the symbol of future generations of “private eyes.”

Having seen the message Kate was sending off to Allan Pinkerton, it’s pretty clear she’s one of his spies and she’s in town on a job. While we don’t know what her mission is yet, we do believe Sheriff Tom Davidson is someone she’s going to be keeping an eye on throughout the season.

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Stay tuned to Hidden Remote for more Walker Independence news and coverage! New episodes of the series premiere Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on The CW. Next day streaming is available on cwtv.com and the CW App.