A dashing brunette with a charming demeanor, Miss F. M. Miller was a woman of great abilities. Known for locking up numerous criminals in the name of the law, she was an expert shot and a superb horsewoman, and brave to the verge of recklessness. It is said that she had aspirations to win a name equal to that of Belle Starr, except she wished to achieve this within law enforcement. Being the first known women to serve as a US Deputy Marshall in the Indian Territory she was a truly incredible women. At this time, the Indian Territory was ripe with wanted criminals, and was a mean place to work. But while other women chose to sit on the sidelines and let the men do all the field work, Miller refused.

 

It all started in 1891 in Paris, Texas where she was first commissioned by the federal government as a US Deputy Marshall. At first she was set to guard at federal prisons in Oklahoma and accompany Mr. Ben Campbell, a fellow Deputy Marshall, on his tasks. Her regular activities included tracking down, apprehending, and escorting criminals and outlaws to jail. During this time she made quite a name for herself, multiple contemporary newspapers of her time claim she was a woman who knew how to handle a criminal, and she had a knack for taking them down. Described as a women of great charisma and charm, she could think and fight her way through anything. She was never seen without a Colt Pistol strapped to her hip and a Winchester strapped to her saddle. She was a woman of power and tactic. While little is known about her personal life, or her ultimate fate, she left a strong mark on women of the time in law enforcement. Upon her appearance in the field, multiple other women started to step out from behind the desk and tackle hands on positions. She was but another great marker for the progression of female rights in the workplace and empowerment in everyday life.

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Bio written by Jessica Fox