This Day in History: December 1, 1946

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - On this day in history, a fateful disappearance gave rise to the Vermont State Police.

It was December 1, 1946.

Paula Welden, a student at Bennington College, went for a hike on the Long Trail and never came back.

Local police and out-of-state agencies searched for Welden, but critics claimed a lack of coordinated effort stymied the investigation.

That would lead directly to the formation of the state police in 1947.