Last week I started to bring you the story of Allan Pinkerton who would eventually own what would become the oldest and largest non governmental security agency in the world. It in fact had some 2,000 detectives and about 30,000 part time agents in the 1890's and far outnumbered the few thousand within the US Armed forces of the day.
With offices across Canada and the US, the firm was finally sold off in 1999. The following year Burns Security also sold out to the Pinkerton buyers. The new owners are called
Securitas, a firm that was by then several decades old. It is now the largest private security company in the world. A title Pinkerton owned till 1999.
With offices across Canada and the US, the firm was finally sold off in 1999. The following year Burns Security also sold out to the Pinkerton buyers. The new owners are called
Securitas, a firm that was by then several decades old. It is now the largest private security company in the world. A title Pinkerton owned till 1999.
This is a photo of Allan Pinkerton probably after the US Civil War.
Most history books tell us that Allan was born in Scotland and came to America where he reached fame in various ventures. Often left out of the resource materials is the fact that while the above is true, BEFORE coming to America, he came to the colony of British North America, an area now called Canada.
This oversight is oft repeated in resource materials, and is unfortunate for those seeking ACCURATE information!
Most history books tell us that Allan was born in Scotland and came to America where he reached fame in various ventures. Often left out of the resource materials is the fact that while the above is true, BEFORE coming to America, he came to the colony of British North America, an area now called Canada.
This oversight is oft repeated in resource materials, and is unfortunate for those seeking ACCURATE information!
Above we see a portion of one of his early office documents and letterhead. And below that, a closer look at the private eye. Also shown, is one of the earliest buttons probably concealed under a jacket or coat that railway agents of the firm wore.
Pinkertons used this logo to give the public the impression the detectives never sleep, and are always on the job for their clients. Always keeping their eye open to what was going on in the client's business!
Pick up any dictionary and you will see that this Pinkerton logo is the very source of the famous phrase ... private eye.
In the late 1850's Allan Pinkerton became an agent for the US Treasury Department. This no doubt due to his expansive work with various railways. And the chasing down of bandits and other criminals who used the rails to flee from one jurisdiction to another on hopes of evading capture. Perhaps from their also making the very railroads their victims to boot.
At the time Allan Pinkerton was also well acquainted with two civil war Major Generals. One of these was John A McLernand. The 2nd being George B McLellan who was the Chief Engineer, then VP of the Illinois Central Railway and later the President of the Ohio and Mississippi Railway. And this general's employer had a lawyer named Abraham Lincoln.
Pinkertons used this logo to give the public the impression the detectives never sleep, and are always on the job for their clients. Always keeping their eye open to what was going on in the client's business!
Pick up any dictionary and you will see that this Pinkerton logo is the very source of the famous phrase ... private eye.
In the late 1850's Allan Pinkerton became an agent for the US Treasury Department. This no doubt due to his expansive work with various railways. And the chasing down of bandits and other criminals who used the rails to flee from one jurisdiction to another on hopes of evading capture. Perhaps from their also making the very railroads their victims to boot.
At the time Allan Pinkerton was also well acquainted with two civil war Major Generals. One of these was John A McLernand. The 2nd being George B McLellan who was the Chief Engineer, then VP of the Illinois Central Railway and later the President of the Ohio and Mississippi Railway. And this general's employer had a lawyer named Abraham Lincoln.
Here we see Allan Pinkerton on left, next to Abraham Lincoln and Major General, and soon to be, commanding General of the US Army. They stood overlooking the Antietam battlefield just a few weeks after the battle, one of the worst of the war, and the loss of about 26,000 soldiers. But with their lives the Southern forces where driven back across the Maryland State line in October, 1862.
At the time Allan Pinkerton often used the code-name Major Allan, and at this point was acting as a Lincoln bodyguard and Chief of the Union Intelligence Service. (The forerunner to the US Secret Service of today.)
This story continues Sunday next.
Hope you will join me then,
Bart
At the time Allan Pinkerton often used the code-name Major Allan, and at this point was acting as a Lincoln bodyguard and Chief of the Union Intelligence Service. (The forerunner to the US Secret Service of today.)
This story continues Sunday next.
Hope you will join me then,
Bart
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