Kate Warne, 1833-1868

The first logo for the Pinkerton National Detective Agency. Photo credit - Wikipedia

The first female detective in the US, a lead detective in the Pinkerton Detective Agency and an American law enforcement officer.

Kate Warne was born in Erin, Chemung County, New York, to a family of modest means. Growing up, she wanted to be an actress, but her family opposed the idea, so she became the next best thing – a spy. In 1856, 23 years old Warne, who presented herself as a widow, walked into the Pinkerton Detective Agency in Chicago, responding to an advertisement she saw in the local newspaper. At the time, female detectives were unheard of, and Allan Pinkerton, the head of the agency, was surprised to learn that she did not come to apply for the secretary position. Warne raised some reasonable arguments to get the job – women can go undercover, gain access to places men cannot, they have an eye for details, and they can befriend girlfriends and wives of the suspects. Though he was reluctant at first, she was able to convince him to hire her, the first female detective in his agency and the US.
 

For the next 12 years, she was involved in various high-profile investigations, serving as Pinkerton’s right hand. In 1858, she became a close friend of a wife of a prime suspect of Adams Express Company embezzlements, providing evidence for his convection. Three years later, she was a key figure in uncovering an assassination plot against the president-elect Abraham Lincoln. As part of her assignment, she escorted Lincoln on the train to Washington, DC, on the way to his inauguration. He posed as an invalid passenger, she went undercover as his sister and caregiver, staying up all night to make sure he remained undirected while passing through Baltimore, where the assassination meant to happen and bringing Lincoln safely to DC.

During the Civil War, she worked as a spy, posing as Pinkerton’s wife while collecting military intelligence for the Union Army. After the war, she continued to work undercover in numerous cases, as well as serving as Supervisor of Women Agents, coordinating the activities of other female detectives that joined the agency after her. She died at the age of 35 from pneumonia and was buried in the Pinkerton Family Plot alongside several other Pinkerton agents at Graceland Cemetery, Chicago.

This post is also available in:

Español

We hope you enjoyed this article.
Please support us so we can publish more herstories about pioneer women.
Donate

We hope you enjoyed this article.
Please support us so we can publish more herstories about pioneer women.
Donate

Fun Facts

  • She had several alias names - Kay Warne, Kay Waren, Kay Warren, Kate Warne, Kate Waren, Kate Warren, Kitty Warne, Kitty Waren, Kitty Warren, Kittie Waren, Kittie Warne, and Kittie Warren.
  • Her heroic story of saving Lincoln from the assassination attempts is engraved on her coworker’s gravestone at Graceland Cemetery, Chicago.
  • Her gravestone doesn’t say much about her, and her surname is misspelled - Warn.

This post is also available in: Español

Category: Army & Security Forces
Tags: Chicago Metro Area Women

Shop & Support

Donate & Support
 
Our feminist project of wanderlust and equality-aspired community maps the HerStories of worldwide wonder women.
Explore the website for excellent guided tours, travel tips, unique landmarks, fun girlfriend getaways, events, and in-depth articles about gender, equality, space, and (not-told-enough) female legacy.

About the Project

 

Annie-Swan-Coburn-WWP
Arts

Annie Swan Coburn, 1856-1932

American art collector, patron, and philanthrope. Donated her fortune and art collection of more than 100 pieces to various art institutes.

Annie Swan Coburn was born in Fremont, Illinois, and by the age of 15, she moved with her family to Chicago. At 24, she married Larned Coburn, a patent lawyer and the co-founder of the Union League Club of Chicago. When her husband died in 1910, Coburn moved to an apartment in the Blackstone Hotel, where she lived for more than 20 years. At that time, she began collecting art, especially by French Impressionist painters such as Renoir, Monet, and van Gogh. She exhibited her collection in her hotel suite, in every available space she had. She had drawers loaded with fine art, masterpieces stacked on the chairs, and famous artwork leaning against the walls. Curators and reporters from all over the world came to the hotel to see her art collection. Upon her death, she donated her fortune of $500,000 and hundreds of artworks to various art institutes, including the Fogg Museum at Harvard University, Smith College, and the Art Institute of Chicago, where her contribution became the core of its Impressionist painting collection. This post is also available in: Español Read more...
Bessie-Coleman-WWP
Science & Technology

Bessie Coleman, 1892-1926

The first African-American woman and the first Native American civil pilot in the US.

Bessie Coleman was born in Atlanta, Texas. Her father was of Cherokee descent, and her mother was African-American. When she was 2 years old, her family moved to Waxahachie, Texas, where her parents worked as sharecroppers. At the age of 6, she started to attend segregated, one-room school, walking 4 miles every day. At the age of 9, her father left home, and in addition to attending school, she helped to support the family by harvesting cotton and washing laundry. At 12, Coleman was granted a scholarship to the Missionary Baptist Church School, which later allowed her to enroll in the Oklahoma Colored Agricultural and Normal University in Langston, Oklahoma. After a semester, her money ran out, and she had to leave and return home. At the age of 23, Coleman moved to Chicago to live with her brothers. She attended Burnham School of Beauty Culture and worked as a manicurist. Her brothers, who served in WW1, told stories from their France experiences, where women fly airplanes. Inspired by their stories, Coleman took a second job and received sponsorship from the newspaper editor Robert S. Abbott and the banker Jesse Binga, to have enough money for aviation classes. No school in the US would receive her application, both because of her race and gender, so she learned French and moved to Paris, where she studied at the Caudron Brothers’ School of Aviation. After seven months, 29 years old Coleman became the first African-American woman and first Native- American to earn a pilot’s license as well as the first black person and first Native-America to earn an international aviation license from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. On her return to the US, Coleman received media attention but realized that she would have to become a stunt flier to earn money. Once again, she did not find any school to accept her, so she traveled to Europe, learning stunts flying and parachuting in France, the Netherland, and Germany. When she came back to the US, her popularity grew, and she became known as “Queen Bess.” She flew Curtiss JN-4 “Jenny” biplanes, performing daredevil maneuvers such as loops, eights figures, and near-ground dips. Her goal was to encourage people to pursue their dreams, while her dream was to own a plane and open a flight school for African-Americans. She gave speeches throughout the country, presenting films of her tricks, and promoting aviation within the community. She refused to speak or to perform in segregated events. During a speaking tour in Orlando, Florida, she met community activists Rev. Hezakiah and Viola Hill, who invited her to live with them. She moved in and opened a beauty shop to earn enough money to buy a plane. On April 30th, 1926, Coleman took a test flight with her mechanic, William Wills. She sat in the passenger seat while he was piloting the plane. Ten minutes into the flight, it went into an unexpected dive and a spin at 3,000 feet. Coleman, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was thrown out of the plane and died immediately when hitting the ground. The plane crashed right next to her. More than 10,000 mourners attended her funeral ceremonies, led by Ida B. Wells. Although she did not achieve her dream to establish her aviation school, her pioneering achievements were the inspiration for a generation of African-Americans to become pilots.   Dive deeper into the inspiring story of Bessie Coleman with our fun and engaging printable worksheet! Available now on Etsy and Teachers Pay Teachers.   This post is also available in: Español Read more...
Carol-Ross-Barney-WWP
Arts

Carol Ross Barney, 1949

American architect, the founder and design principal of Ross Barney Architects, and the co-founder of the Chicago Women in Architecture.

Born in Chicago, Illinois. At the age of 9, the family relocated to Düsseldorf, Germany, until she attended high school. After her graduation, she enrolled to study Architecture at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. At 22, a week after receiving her degree, she and her husband joined the US Peace Corps, assisting in the preservation and protection of Costa Rica’s national parks. Coming back to Chicago, she was hired by the architectural firm Holabird and Root, where she worked on the Glendale Heights Post Office, for which she received multiple awards. At the age of 24, she co-founded the Chicago Women in Architecture and served as its first president. In 1981, she started her practice, followed by clients from her old firm. A couple of years later, during her studies for a master’s degree in Architecture, she was awarded a fellowship that allowed her to travel to Europe, exploring post-war rebuilding and planning of various cities. In 1997, she was chosen to design the Oklahoma City Federal Building and became the first female architect to lead a federal building commission. Her approach to architecture is that excellent design is not a privilege but a right, and her work is known for being innovative, sustainable, and accessible for all. It is shown in her design of the Chicago RiverWalk – a pedestrian waterfront located on the Chicago River. She created an urban park that connects the city to the river, and with the terraces and benches, she provided a green refuge from the city’s intensity . Barney is also a Professor of Architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology, teaching advanced design studio, and serving on the College of Architecture Board of Overseers. This post is also available in: Español Read more...
Ping Tom Memorial Park Chi Che Wang WWP
Science & Technology

Chi Che Wang, 1894-1979

Scientist, teacher, and the founder of the Chicago Chinese Women’s Club.

Born in Soochow, China, in 1894. She was sent to the US by her parents to receive a better education. At the time, only a few women were studying in universities, and even less so minority women. By 1918 she received a PhD in nutrition and chemistry from the University of Chicago. She worked as a researcher in several institutes and hospitals in the US and considered a pioneer in her field. Wang participated in many civic efforts in Chicago; her most known one was the foundation of the Chicago Chinese Women’s Club in 1937, which she kept active for over a decade. The club did well in fundraising, as well as in helping the American efforts in World War II, and in promoting women’s civil rights. Chi Che Wang Playlot Park in Chicago was named in her honor in 2004. It is located less than two miles from the research headquarters at Children’s Memorial Hospital, one of the places where Wang worked and promoted science. This post is also available in: Español Read more...
View all

 

*Disclaimer: Please be aware that the information on this page is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. Learn more here.

Skip to content