Maude Charles Collins (1893-1972) of Vinton County became Ohio's first female county sheriff when she was appointed to finish her husband Fletcher's term after he was killed in the line of duty in October 1925. In 1926, she ran for the office on the Democratic ticket and handily defeated male opponents in both the primary and general elections. Known as "Sheriff Maude," she investigated crimes, answered calls, patrolled roads, and carried out the duties of her office while raising five children. She gained national attention for solving a double murder case in 1926 that was later featured in Master Detective and Startling Detective magazines. In 1927, she became the first woman to deliver inmates to the Ohio State Penitentiary in Columbus. A pioneering woman in law enforcement, she was inducted into the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame in 2000 and is buried in Hamden Cemetery.