Allan Pinkerton

Biography of Allan Pinkerton

Brienne Olbert

CJS/250

August 1, 2012

Denise Mowder

Biography of Allan Pinkerton

Many people do not recognize the name of Allan Pinkerton until they are reminded of what he had done and created. Allan Pinkerton had earned the respect of those people that had known him and had always carried a high standard of dignity. Pinkerton was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1819. Allan’s father was a police officer who had his career ended from a work related injury that had happened while he was on duty. With his father being put out of having a job, this as any other family, had put a huge hardship on his family. When his father had died, Allan was now forced to support his family at a young age. He had gotten a job as an apprentice to a barrel maker. This job had not lasted long due to Allan’s involvement in the Chartist Movement. Due to all the social unrest that had existed Pinkerton had immigrated to the United States. He had secretly gotten married in Glasgow and then had moved to a Scottish community in the United States located in Dundee, Illinois.

How it all started

When Allan was 35 he had worked for the Chicago Cook’s County Sheriff’s Department as a deputy. He had also been contracted by the federal government to look into multiple criminal and fraudulent activities that were going on such as; counterfeiting, protection of post offices from deterring robbery, and special operation assignments that had involved his detective services. Then in 1855 there had been six of the Midwestern railroad representatives that had contacted Pinkerton and offered him 10 thousand dollars to provide his services to develop and organize a special police unit that would be used specifically for protection of the railroad’s investment. Later, this special unit became identified as the North West...