The murder of James A. Clough occurred in the early morning hours of August 22, 1920, at his home in Ogden, Utah. The police would come to believe that Clough's own son—a fourteen-year-old named Ray—had shot him. The circumstances of the tragedy left Ray without anyone to care for him while he awaited trial. Because Ogden had no juvenile detention center, the boy could only stay in the city jail with adult criminals: hardly a fitting environment for a child, no matter his guilt or innocence. The case piqued the interest of local women, many of them socially prominent, who belonged to the Child Culture Club, the Martha Society, and the Children's Aid Society, among other organizations. While the women's concern began with Ray Clough and was rooted in Progressive Era–values, their efforts continued well through the 1950s as they worked with court professionals, lawmakers, and the community to establish...

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