Notable people · Law Enforcement · Women
Maude Collins
After her husband, Vinton County's sheriff, was killed, Collins was appointed to finish his term in 1925 and then won election in 1926, making her the first woman elected sheriff in Ohio. She solved a double murder near McArthur in 1927.
At a glance
- Born
- 1894
- Died
- 1972
- Known as
- Law Enforcement, Women
- Organizations
- Vinton County Sheriff's Office
Life story
Maude Charles was born in 1894, a descendant of the McCoy family known from the Hatfield-McCoy feud. She married the sheriff of Vinton County.
When her husband was murdered, she was appointed to fill his post, and in 1926 voters elected her to a term of her own. She is described as the first woman elected sheriff in the state.
She became known for solving the killings of Sarah and William Stout near McArthur by reasoning from footprints that a suspect wore shoes too big for her. In 1929 she delivered prisoners, armed, to the Ohio State Penitentiary, a first for a woman. She died in 1972 and is buried in Hamden. She entered the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame in 2000.
Timeline
- 1894: Born source
- 1925: Appointed sheriff after her husband's death (McArthur, OH) source
- 1926: Elected sheriff (Vinton County, OH) source
- 1927: Solves the Stout murders (near McArthur, OH) source
- 1929: Delivers prisoners to the Ohio State Penitentiary (Columbus, OH) source
- 1972: Dies source
- 2000: Inducted into Ohio Women's Hall of Fame source
What Maude is known for
- First woman elected sheriff in Ohio
- Solved the 1927 Stout murders
- Ohio Women's Hall of Fame, 2000
Inventions and firsts
- First woman elected sheriff in Ohio (1926) credit is disputed
Honors and things named for them
- Ohio Women's Hall of Fame, 2000
- Ohio historical marker in McArthur
Family
- husband: Sheriff Collins
- mother: Fanny McCoy Charles
Places in Ohio to see
- Maude C. Collins marker (marker)
McArthur, Vinton County ZIP 45651 (approximate) · Mcarthur · Vinton County · official page
Ohio places
Where Maude Collins was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.
- Worked: McArthur, Vinton County ZIP 45651 · Mcarthur · Vinton County
- Buried: Hamden, Vinton County ZIP 45634 · Hamden · Vinton County
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.
- Wikipedia: Maude Collins dates, election, murder case, burial, hall of fame
- Remarkable Ohio: Vinton markers marker titled 'Law Enforcement Pioneer', 1925 appointment
