Wild West: Brothels (Documentary)

Thank you my friend SFC (Join to see) for sharing the Wild West: Brothels documentary.
"From famous outlaws to inspiration for Gone With The Wind, these are the notorious prostitutes and madams who ruled the men of the wild west.
Prostitutes - or 'soiled doves' and 'sportin' women' as they were commonly known - were a fixture in western towns and cities. 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 taken in the 19th century 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 merely opening up the local or statewide directories, such as the 1895 Travelers' Guide of Colorado. This 66-page manual helped the interested client decide which brothel was right for him. As the industry grew, so did the number of women who approached prostitution as a business profession.
Prostitution was a dangerous profession, with many 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 up her first brothel when she was 19-years-old and made $38,000 (equivalent to $1 million 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.
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. +17
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, pictured left as a young prostitute and right as a Madame
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.
Being a Madam required a great deal of skill. As well as monitoring the cleanliness of the brothel and providing training, cosmetics and clothes, 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 organizations, 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. "
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4607178/America-s-wild-west-prostitutes-uncovered.html

FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Orlando Illi Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj William W. "Bill" Price CPT Jack Durish Capt Tom Brown CMSgt (Join to see) MSG Andrew White SFC William Farrell SGT (Join to see) Sgt Albert Castro SSG David Andrews Sgt Randy Wilber Sgt John H. SGT Charles H. Hawes SGT Mark Halmrast PO1 William "Chip" Nagel CPT Gabe SnellLTC Greg Henning

More than we suspect. They went to an orphanage, were rented out for labor or other unpleasant things

Richard Pryor was born and raised pretty much in a brothel.