Ida Hagan Mural Approved by Ferdinand Plan Commission

The Ferdinand Plan Commission has approved a request from Fritz Properties to have a mural of Ida Hagan commissioned on the exterior wall of its property. A resident of the Pinkston Freedom Settlement, Hagan made history with a long list of accomplishments. She was the first African American to graduate from a Dubois County school and became the first female assistant postmistress in Indiana. She spoke German fluently and in 1908 became probably the youngest female pharmacist ever licensed at 20 years old. In 1912, she was named the first postmistress in the state. She was active in the civil rights movement and became President of the Detroit Division of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. The auxiliary is often credited with making the BSCP the first successful black trade union in the nation.