Kate Pier

Kate Pier (June 22, 1845 – June 25, 1925) was an American court commissioner and the first woman in the United States to be conferred with judicial powers.

Early life Kate Hamilton was born in St. Albans (town), Vermont, on June 22, 1845. Her father was John Hamilton and her mother Mary (née Meekin). Both parents were of Scots-Irish descent.

In 1871 Pier began business life by assuming the charge of her mother's and her own share of a large estate left by her father. They lived in the Pier homestead south of Fond du Lac which was built by Colwert Pier's father in the 1840s.

Legacy In 1982 Kate Pier was included in a book honoring 300 women from Wisconsin, released by the American Association of University Women as a part of the group's centennial celebration, Wisconsin Women: A Gifted Heritage.

Pier Elementary School in Fond du Lac is named after the family.