The “Soiled Doves” of
old Abilene
When Joseph McCoy started the booming cattle trafficking in Abilene, the town started
growing way beyond everybody’s expectations.
When gaming houses and brothels started popping up, the good women of Abilene spoke up – Loudly! It was decided those establishment would be
moved across the railroad tracks. Thus,
the “Red Light” District came to be.
Some nicknames such as: Devil’s
Addition, The Valley, Devil’s Island,
Texas Village” and other less
dignified titles could be heard on many men’s lips.
Each house paid the city a $200 license fee, as did the
saloons. A few of the women were well
educated, refined in appearance, but most were addicted to heavy drinking.
The brothel colony was fenced off like and six or eight
barracks-type building were erected to house the women. Eventually a few house “madams’ began to
surface, but nowhere is there any mention of vice bosses trying to take over
and control the prostitute racket in Abilene. Each girl paid rent for her own crib in a
house, more or less a business all her own.
Each staked her being as freely as a poker chip. Most were truly “Pistol packin’ mamma’s,”
carrying small pearl handled revolvers or knives in their boots under layer of
petticoats.
* * * *
Thanks so much for stopping by. Several of my historical western romances
take place in Kansas
in the mid 1800s.
By the way, as a thank you for visiting, I am going to
choose one commenter to receive an eBook of their choice between Jesse’s Find,
Jesse’s Nightmare, or Justice Comes to Salina. Be sure to leave an email address!
Jesse’s Find, Book One of the Jesse’s Series
“Jesse,”
Ginny asked when they were on the road, “when you asked her about her son she
said he was spending his time in the Devil’s Addition as a box herder. She
seemed disgusted with him. What does that mean?”
The
Devil’s Addition is an area of town in Abilene
where some saloons and whore…or brothels are located. A box herder is a man who
keeps the – ladies in line.”
She
looked at him, plainly confused and then her eyes opened wide. “You mean there
are soiled doves in this town?”
A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Soiled
doves? Yep, Abilene
has its share of them.”
On November 2, I’m talking about the law in old Abilene. Hope to see you then!!!!!
