Fascinating photographs show prostitutes who ruled men in the 19th century Wild West… and went on to become MILLIONAIRES and national heroes
Although prostitution was largely illegal, brothels were no secret in the old west and their location could easily be found in local directories
FROM famous outlaws to inspiration for Gone With The Wind, these are the notorious prostitutes and madams who ruled the men of Wild West.
Prostitutes – or ‘soiled doves’ and ‘sportin’ women’ as they were commonly known -were a fixture in western American towns and cities in the 19th century.
Almost without exception, pioneer mining camps, boomtowns and whistles-stops became home to at least one or two hookers – if not a roaring red light district.
And, these fascinating images show some of the most famous scarlet women of the time, who would go on to become millionaires, national heroes and outlaws.
Prostitution contributed heavily to town economies in the way of business licenses, fees and fines.
A number of red light districts evolved into the social centres of their communities.
Although prostitution was largely illegal, brothels were no secret in the old west.
Visitors could easily find disorderly houses by opening up the local or state-wide directories, such as the 1895 Travellers’ Guide of Colorado.
This 66-page manual helped the interested client decide which brothel was right for him.
MOST READ IN LIVING
As the industry grew, so did the number of women who approached prostitution as a business profession.
Prostitution was a dangerous career, with many women dying from childbirth or from venereal disease.
But some women rose to become extremely wealthy, famous and respectable citizens in their own right – by becoming madams of their own brothels.
As one of the best-known madams in the west Mattie Silks, of Denver, Colorado said: “I went into the sporting life for business reasons and for no other. It was a way for a woman in those days to make money, and I made it.”
Mattie opened her first brothel when she was 19-years-old and made £30,000 (equivalent to £785,000 today) in just three months running a bordello in Dawston City, Alaska.
And madam Belle Brezing from Lexington, Kentucky, was so renowned she is said to have been the model for Belle Watling in the classic novel, Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell.
Whilst other ‘soiled doves’ met some of the most famed outlaws of the day through the brothels - and made their own mark on history.
Fannie Porter’s luxurious brothel in San Antonio, Texas, was a popular haunt of Butch Cassidy’s Wild Bunch - the most successful train-robbing gang in history.
Several of her “girls’ like Etta Place and Della Moore went on to marry Harry Longabaugh (better known as the Sundance kid) and Harvey Logan (known as Kid Curry).
And prostitute Laura Bullion even became a member of the Wild Bunch gang – supporting them by stealing stolen goods during their train robberies.
Meanwhile, Texan prostitute ‘Big Nose Kate’ married one of the West’s deadliest gunslingers Doc Holliday – and even broke him out of jail in 1877 by starting a fire and pulling a gun on the prison guard.
Martha Jane Burke, better known as Calamity Jane, was known to be an occasional prostitute and an alcoholic.
Being a madam required a great deal of skill.
As well as monitoring the cleanliness of the brothel and providing training, cosmetics and clothes, a large focus for madams was keeping their business transactions discreet and staying on the good side of the law.
They did so by contributing money to charitable organisations, schools, and churches.
Until the early twentieth century, madams predominately ran the brothels, after which male pimps took over, and the treatment of the women generally declined.
THE MOST NOTORIOUS PROSTITUTES IN THE WILD WEST
MATTIE SILKS (1845-1929)
Mattie Silks became on the best known madams in the west, having brothels in Dodge City, Kansas and Denver, Colorado where demand for women was high due to the gold rushes.
Mattie was a competitive businesswoman and engaged in a public duel with rival madam Kate Fulton when she opened another brothel on her patch.
Mattie was so successful that she netted £30,000 (the equivalent of £750,000 today) running a bordello for three months in Dawson City, Alaska.
Mattie married at least twice and also kept a lover.
She had a reputation for excellent service in her establishments and was known for sheltering the needy and homeless in her brothels.
BELLE BREZING (1860 - 1940)
Belle Brezing was a nationally-known madam in Lexington, Kentucky – and started her first brothel in the former residence of First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln.
Belle catered to powerful men from Lexington and beyond, men who came to the city because of the horse business and tobacco.
She gained a national reputation during the Spanish-American War (1898) when U. S. Army units were billeted in Lexington – and she only allowed officers of senior rank in her brothel.
Belle was so famous that her death warranted an obituary in Time Magazine – that she is said to have been the model for Belle Watling in the classic novel, Gone with the Wind.
BIG NOSE KATE (1850–1940)
Originally from Hungary, Mary Katharine Haroney – more commonly known as ‘Big Nose Kate’ to her clients – travelled to Kansas at age sixteen to seek her fortune as a prostitute.
Whilst working as a prostitute in Fort Griffin, Texas, she began a relationship with one of the deadliest/legendary/gunslingers Doc Holliday – which lasted until his death.
Kate continued to work as a prostitute throughout her relationship with Holliday – and even broke him out of jail in 1877 by starting a fire and pulling a gun on the prison guard.
JULIA BULETTE (1832-1867)
Julia Bulette, an English-born American prostitute moved to mining boomtown Virginia city, Nevada, in 1859 when she was twenty-seven years old.
As she was the only single/unmarried woman in the city, she became sought after by the miners and quickly decided to take up prostitution.
Julia is often remembered as being the "original hooker with a heart of gold" – she donated large sums of money to miners in hardship, nursed victims of the influenza epidemic and was much-loved in Virginia City.
When she was murdered by a French drifter in 1867, the whole town went into mourning for her – all the mines and saloons closed out of respect and thousands attended her funeral.
LAURA BULLION (1876–1961)
Born in Knickerbocker, Texas, Laura Bullion worked as a prostitute in Fannie Porter’s famed brothel in nearby San Antonio.
It was here that Laura began a relationship with outlaw and member of Butch Cassidy’s Wild Bunch, William “News” Carver.
Although Carver initially denied Laura’s pleas to join the gang at first, he eventually relented.
The group admired her skill at stealing stolen goods and assisting their train robberies - and she was nicknamed the “Rose of the Wild Bunch” by them.
When Laura was arrested after a train robbery n 1901, the Chief of Detectives Desmond noted of her, "I would'nt [sic] think helping to hold up a train was too much for her. She is cool, shows absolutely no fear”.
Laura Bullion was released from prison in 1905 and lived the remainder of her life as a seamstress, dying in Memphis, Tennessee in 1961, the last of the Wild Bunch.