I look forward to the answer to this!   My guess is that it is what most consider a more progressive state.   Rural states ussually move things along more quickly than more urban regions.  Human resources being what they are.  

 

Ofcourse, this is just ignorant commentary.  I have NO idea...  but I wouldn't be surprised to discover it to be a state like Mass. or Ca.

I hate remaining ignorant for long.  I enjoyed the game, but had to check it out.  I thought this was a great post!

 

In 1893 an appointment to provide for the widow of a police officer was made by the mayor of Chicago. The police payroll carried Mrs. Marie Owens as a "patrolman" for 30 years until her retirement on pension. She visited courts and assisted detectives in cases involving women and children. Such an appointment was common practice around the country when most police departments offered neither pensions nor death benefits. Regardless of their specific titles, women appointed to such positions often acted as police matrons.

On April 1, 1908, Lola Baldwin, 48, was sworn in as a "female detective to perform police service" for the city of Portland, Oregon.¹ She appears to be the first woman hired by a U.S. municipality to carry out regular law enforcement duties. A few years earlier, in summer of 1905, Baldwin was hired by the Portland Travelers' Aid Society to organize an effort to keep juveniles and young women safe from "moral pitfalls" as they visited or worked at the Lewis and Clark Exposition (similar to a world's fair). Civic leaders felt that the large number of single lumbermen, miners, and laborers attracted by the exposition could create undesirable influences among Portland's women. To counteract this possibility, Baldwin was put in charge of a force of social workers and given temporary quasi-police powers for the duration of the exposition (June 1 to mid-October, 1905).² Her work to prevent vice was so effective that Lola Baldwin won the support of the mayor, city council, and police chief to make her position with the police department a permanent one. In early 1908 she passed a specialized "female detective" civil service exam and then on April 1, 1908, was hired by the police department to serve as the "Superintendent of the Women's Auxiliary to the Police Department for the Protection of Girls."³ She then began her 14-year career as the nation's first municipally paid policewoman with police powers of arrest.

These are municipal officers - duh - still can't say about Police...  Early as I can find is in the 1960s - gotta be some before that!  Back to the search.

Every year I drink a toast to Mrs Dyer, the Baby Farmer of Reading. I doubt her appointment was official, but it sure kept JDs of the streets.

 

Idiots hanged her in 1896, after some 20 bodies of potential JDs were discovered.

 

Reading is now one of the most dangerous night time towns in the UK.

That's horrible!  I've never heard of Baby Farming, so I looked it up and it made me sick.

It was fairly common up until about 100 years ago, Mrs Dyer is the most infamous example. The last execution for a baby farmer murder was in 1907, the executioner said in his memoirs that she was the most beautiful woman he ever hanged.

When I was a piglet, there was no TV and so I learned to read pretty sharpish.

I'll never forget seeing my mother writing that card on the NAAFI (Army Supermarket) want ads rack. 

 

"BABY FARMER WANTED. I PAY YOU."

 

My sister Gloria, was the first female to attain the rank of 1st grade detective in NY. She had to take the same exam the men did back in the 60's. climb a 10 foot wall, carry a 75 pound bag around a track etc.  She distinguished herself as a notable investigator as did her ancestors.

.

 

 

Minnie Dean the stuff of legends ......... http://folksong.org.nz/minniedean/index.html

Kahu

very similar to Mrs Dyer, the baby farmer of Reading. or my Boarding School matron

The last woman to be hanged in Wales was a baby farmer, Rhoda Willis 1907. She was the last person executed for that type of murder.

They never hanged my Boarding School matron. gave the cow a medal

Flash, why were you sent to boarding skool?   Were your parents filthy rich or were you incorrigible?

 

T-Dog

Tommy perhaps he was just a PIA!

IN ENGLAND THEY CALL IT BOARDING SCHOOL IN AMERICA THEY CALL IT REFORM SCHOOL. SAME/SAME.