Jennie B. (Carter) Powers

1864 - 1936
p

Biography

Animal Rights Activist and possibly the 1st Female Deputy Sheriff in New Hampshire

Brattleboro, VT-born Jennie Powers was a humane society agent in Keene, NH, from 1903-1936, while also assisting the society in Brattleboro, VT.  Jennie was known across the country as The Woman Who Dares, cited by the Boston Post newspaper as having arrested more men than any other woman in America in 1906.

In 1903, the Keene Humane Society hired Jennie on a trial basis. Soon the company grew to rely on her as Jennie investigated and worked to prosecute hundreds of cases of animal abuse.  She was known to march in to work sites such as logging camps, mill yards, farms, and train yards.  By 1910, the Cheshire County sheriff deputized her and Jennie Powers became the second woman in New Hampshire to serve that role.

In the mural you will also notice an image of a mother and child.  In an age when animal cruelty laws were more defined than laws against family violence, much of Powers’ work led her to protect the rights of children and wives who were abused and neglected.

Jennie Powers died in 1936 at the age of 72 from complications from pneumonia.  In 1967, the Keene Humane Society their present 250 acre site the Jennie B. Powers Memorial Shelter in her honor.  In 2019, Jennie B. Powers was selected for inclusion in the city of Keene’s Walldogs Mural initiative by members of the community.  A public mural dedicated to her life is located along Main Street.  Jennie Powers was a heroic agent of change during a time when women were just beginning to push for rights to vote, to control property and to have a legal say over the welfare of their own children.

Points of Interest

  • 101 Main Street, Keene, NH. Original site of the Keene Humane Society where Jennie both lived and worked in the 1900s-1920s.
  • 9 Court Street, Keene, NH. Site of the Keene Humane Society in the 1930s where Jennie Powers both lived and worked.
  • Prospect Hill Cemetery, Brattleboro, VT. Where Jennie Powers is buried.
  • 101 West Swanzey Road, Swanzey, NH. Home of the Monadnock Humane Society. The main building for the Society was dedicated as the Jennie B. Powers Memorial Shelter.
  • Corner of 120 Main Street and Eagle Court , Keene, NH. Home of the Walldogs mural depicting Jennie Powers.