International Women's History Month: Kate Warne, Pinkerton's First Female Detective

It's National Women's History Month. In recognition of women's vital role in American history, we would like to take this month to recognize a few notable Pinkertons, starting with Kate Warne, Pinkerton's first female detective—and likely America's first female detective.

So much has already been written about this trailblazer, but we would be remiss not to include her at the top of our list. After all, she boldly persuaded Allan Pinkerton, founder of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, to hire her because she could infiltrate social gatherings where a male counterpart could not.

When it came to solving crime, no one expected a woman detective, especially not one so adept at putting people at ease and drawing out their secrets. Her early success led Pinkerton to declare, "Female detectives must be allowed in my agency," and assign Warne to oversee a team of women agents whose cunning efforts dawned a new era for women in security.

Read more about what Pinkerton himself wrote about Warne and her team of Lady Pinks.