Prostitution in the Gilded Age

by Kevin Murphy

  Lastly, for almost a half century, everyone—from the members of the common council to the day laborers in the river wards—ignored prostitution, gambling, and liquor law violations. Did the bishops know that the time would come when respectable citizens would demand an end to vice? Would breaking age-old habits take a large and powerful police force? One guesses that someone in the city noticed the huge increase in police officers long before 1910. Regardless of how the matter was dissected, solely from a manpower perspective, the police department was never in a better position to crack down on vice.

  Judge Garvan’s jailing of ten madames in July 1907 was about as powerful as the law gets, but as alluded to earlier, the Gilded Age sex industry just couldn’t be dismantled that easily. It was like trying to put out a root fire in a forest; you never knew where the fire would pop up next. Judge Garvan sent dozens of young girls running from the city, but the madames were still there—with rent bills to pay.

  Besides the accumulation of pressure from the Law and Order League, the Federation of Churches, as well as the courts, newspapers and citizens groups—large and small—the Women’s Suffrage Group also helped by mobilizing housewives. In Hartford, Dr. Thomas N. Hepburn, a Scottish-American urologist at Hartford Hospital, was married to civic activist, Katherine “Kit” Martha Houghton Hepburn. (Kit eventually had six children, including the actress Katherine Houghton Hepburn, who was born in 1908.)

  Kit Hepburn championed the entire spectrum of cutting-edge feminist issues of her time, from family planning to women’s suffrage. In the first decade of the twentieth century, Kit became deeply concerned with prostitution. While Dr. Hepburn led a lifelong campaign against venereal disease, Kit fought against white slavery, the unspeakable underpinning of the sex business. One finds it curious that Dr. and Mrs. Hepburn were such avid social reformers in their adopted home, while their housing situation bespoke uncertainty. The Hepburns rented houses from 1904 until 1919, when they purchased their first home on Laurel Street. Did it take them fifteen years to make up their minds about Hartford?

  Kit Hepburn gave public addresses on the white slave traffic and prostitution to women’s groups who were shocked at the frankness of her words. Nevertheless, Mrs. Hepburn talked openly about “Patsy” Fusco and his trafficking in white slaves, and brought the whole matter out of the darkness. The Women’s Suffrage Group cannot be given all the credit, but the pressure generated by all of these groups was what brought action. While about ten cities in the United States still had red-light districts even after the First World War, closing the brothels in Hartford by 1911 must be viewed as an estimable achievement.

  After two feckless Republican mayors—William Henney (1904-1908) and Edward Hooker (1908-1910)—Democratic Mayor Edward L. Smith became the city’s chief executive in April 1910. Immediately, representatives of various organizations besieged him to finish the clean up of the city.

  By the end of 1911, public opprobrium breached the dam of inactivity, and Mayor Edward Smith decided that tolerance had run its course. On Friday, December 29, 1911, Mayor Smith ordered Chief of Police William Gunn to close all the remaining houses of ill fame at once. Chief Gunn lost no time in executing the orders. At the end of a long day’s work, Chief Gunn summarized the action for the press—

  “The mayor has instructed the chief of police to close every house in this city that is reputed to be a house of ill fame. These instructions were executed today. . . . In giving them, the mayor has the full and undivided support of the board of police commissioners. He feels that whatever affect this policy may have upon the broad social question of prostitution, it cannot fail to have a deterrent effect upon the white slave traffic. [369]

  Completing the interview, Mayor Smith said that he would issue any further orders that became necessary for a full and complete obedience to the spirit and letter of the law. He said that a vigorous campaign would be waged against streetwalking, houses of assignation, and other forms of vice as they exist . . . in Hartford. . . .[370]

  Mayor Smith then appointed a fifteen-member vice commission and a vice squad. This commission compiled a massive amount of information. In 1913, this data was published in book form. Among other things, it said that the police department was free from graft or complicity in the conditions that had existed. However, the time had come for a change in the policy of laxity in these matters, and the order of suppression should continue in force. After the commission had published its work, the vice squad continued its efforts, making many arrests, conducting raids, and keeping the lid on vice.

  Owing to the American Social Hygiene Organization, the Wasserman Test (1906) and Dr. Paul Ehrlich’s discovery of Salvarsan (1909), it became apparent that red light districts did not dampen vice and disease, but rather led to the proliferation of both.

  Between 1910 and 1917, forty American cities ran vice studies, which showed that between 60 and 75 percent of all prostitutes had venereal infections. In Baltimore, infected prostitutes ran to 96 percent. Based on the information unearthed by these vice commissions, approximately 200 American cities—including virtually every one with a population over 100,000—closed their red light districts. The notorious Barbary Coast in San Francisco and the arrogant Storyville in New Orleans both disappeared by 1917.[371]

  In the years after the War of the Rebellion, when the nation was sick with grief, the average person couldn’t care less about prostitution, gambling, or drinking. If a woman lost her husband in the war, what would she care if her neighbor placed a bet on a horse or took a drink on Sunday? She wouldn’t, and the same applied to prostitution. For almost a half century, America grieved. Then as the melancholic mourning period came to a close, the country pulled itself back together.

  Slowly, the machinery of vice was broken down. In some smaller cities like Hartford, the houses of ill fame closed down just before the First World War. The houses in the larger cities lasted until World War I was almost concluded. No matter how the matter is analyzed, 1917 marked the end of an era. The people of America regained their moral consciences and the houses of ill fame closed. Throughout this period, there was widespread speculation as to whether or not the houses of ill repute would remain closed. They did, and of course, white slavery ended. However, vice never goes away forever because human nature is constant. Whenever a brothel strikes a low-class character as a good business opportunity, a new house of ill repute pops up. The place does a brisk business until the bishops tell the mayor to have the police close it down.[372]

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  Appendix A

  Hartford Houses of Ill Fame (Taken from Police Raids) — 1850-1917

  Albany road N. J. Snow - 1857

  Albany road Dorrance Cadwell (1862)

  76 Ann Street Matilda (née Bridget Troy) Elliott

  74 Ann Street Mary Barnard (née May Smith)

  Ann Street Simmons sisters from Providence - 1898

  Allyn Street Minnie Greene –1904

  111 Allyn Street Henry Brown - 1907

  5 Arch Street Ada Leffingwell - 1885-1900

  Grace Howard - 1900-1902

  When Jennie Hollister died on April 29, 1900,

  Ada bought 76 Wells Street for $14,000. Ada died on November 16, 1901.

  Grace Morton - 1902-1906

  Kate Edwards - 1907

  116 Asylum Street Howard and Marie Parsons

  (Foster Block)

  255 Asylum Street National Hotel - Julia Anderson - 1906

  142 Grove Street Grace Lombardi - 1902

  146 Grove Street Belle Young and Julia Fitzgerald

  22 Hicks Street Charley Cusick

  24 Chapel Street Wm. Roberts - 1907

  39 Chapel Street Adelaide Young

  17 Charles Street Joseph Ferrante - 1897

  34 Chestnut Street John Corrington

  22 Commerce St. John Stoszek - 1900

  101 Commerce St. Mary Bernard - 1902

  103 Commerce St. Benjamin Benjamins - 1904

  1
09 Commerce St. Louise Duval

  133 Commerce St. Grace Gorman

  253 Commerce St. Sarah McKennan

  36 Elm Street B. A & Jane Davis

  Exchange Hotel Peter Suzio - 1899

  Ferry Street Minnie Pease - 1880

  32 Ferry Street Julia Ann Harlow-1852

  Mary Ann Atherton-(a.k.a. Polly Ann) - 1863

  John Bertrand & Lewis Tracy-1883

  46 Ferry Street Mrs. Jacob Jordi - 1876

  49 Ferry Street Bartholomew Mahoney -1883

  55 Ferry Street Charles Johnson

  Ada Jackson

  76 Ferry Street River House - “the great red hotel by the river”

  James Wilson - finished building in 1871

  Mary Ann Atherton (Wilson)-1871-1901

  10 ½ Ford St Gertrude Burnham - 1898

  May Smith

  6 Ford Street Minnie Greene - 1902

  Wallace Peterson

  70 Front Street Joe Cronin - saloon - backroom

  88 Front Street Joe Emmons’s saloon - backroom

  184 Front Street Napoleon Champagne saloon - brothel

  278 Front Street John Mack & Emma Smith - saloon - backroom

  Front Street Laura Peck (near New England House) - 1860

  Front Street Rosa St. Germaine

  327 Front Street Frederick Bedlow and Margaret Goodrich

  352 ½ Front Street May Marquette – 1910

  526 Front Street Pasquale “Patsy” Fusco (crnr. Talcott Street)

  585 Front Street Pietro and Jennie Madeneso – rest. - backroom

  17 Gold Street Yee Tan

  26 Gold Street Sarah Andrews - 1873

  Grove Street Delia Pluff

  Grove Street Margaret Delaney

  Grove Street Josie Perry

  Grove Street Mamie Doyle

  136 Grove Street Louise Duval - 1912

  142 Grove Street Grace Lombardi

  22 Hicks Street Charles Cusick

  46 Hicks Street Dora Crossler

  43 Kilbourn Street Jennie Taylor’s - Tom Hollister bought 43 Kilbourn Street from John Meek in June 1867. Hollister knew Jennie ‘Taylor’ McQueeney well and rented the place to her. The police arrested Jennie for keeping a house of ill fame there in 1868. Later, she changed her name to Jo Bullock and started a new house at 21 Sheldon Street.

  47 Kilbourn Street Joseph Barney (left Hartford after arrest)

  136 Main Street Frank & Carrie Rose Stahl – massage front - backroom

  232 Main Street Helen McIsaacs

  Hotel Alexander

  217 Main Street City Hotel - back room - T.F. “Jim” Callahan

  483 Main Street Grace Howard - 1898-1900

  Main Street, Upper Mary Barnard (née May Smith)

  Main Street, Upper New England Cafe- (opp. Fourth Cong. Church)

  Main Street, Upper Joe Weeks- 1866

  577 Main Street Woodruff Cadwell-1866

  755 Main Street Antoine Germaine

  1094 Main Street Elliott House-Matilda (née Bridget Troy) Elliott

  1160 Main Street Elizabeth Gray - 1916

  1233 Main Street Quincy House - Timothy Foley - 1901

  1246 Main Street Mary Schick - 1914

  4 Market Street Joe Weeks

  22-28 Market Street 1851 Lafayette House (1st class hotel)

  1860 Lafayette House . . . Joseph Clark, later Wm. Stratton

  1868-Woodruff Cadwell buys the property-$13,000

  1868 Central House . . .Dorrance Cadwell, hotel keeper

  1875 Derby House . . ..Augustus Derby

  1878 prop. reverts to Cadwell. . . When Frank Cadwell dies on Oct 17 1879, age 27, his wife Lizzie Cadwell runs the place until 1882.

  In the meantime, Lizzie Cadwell buys out Jennie and Tom Hollister at 165 State Street in 1883.

  1882 Revere House W. A. Newton

  1890 Revere House Mrs. Isaac Van Wagner

  1891-1901 Columbia House . . . Timothy F. Meagher (N.Y.-Spfld.)

  Aug. 1, 1902- Columbia House torn down.

  138 Market Street Grace Morton

  Mary Montagne -1906

  253 Market Street Julliette Kenard

  261 Market Street Emmanuel Valenti - 1912

  304 Market Street Samuel Herrop

  306 Market Street Belle Meech

  Market Street Gertrude Burnham – 1898

  Market Street Hannah Coogan

  87 Morgan Street Wm. C. and Belle Daley, saloon - backroom–1866

  89 Morgan Street John Clough - saloon - backroom

  13 Mechanic Street Adolph ‘Duffy’ Pluff and Della Pluff

  Mulberry Street Pat Phlelan’s saloon - back room

  1008 Park Street Mary “May” Wing-1900

  Pearl Street Isaac Warriner- 1865

  81 Pleasant Street Lillie “Swamp Angel” Taylor - 1900

  30 Portland Street Louis Hamkahib - 1911

  Margaret Hamkahib

  10 Potter Street Annie Russell - 1907

  16 Potter Street Catherine Collins - 1894

  Jeremiah Mahoney - 1896

  Belle LeClare - 1907

  82 Potter Street Elizabeth Benedict - 1904

  Prospect Street Brower House (crnr. 25 Central Row) - Wm. “Bill” Crowley and his partner, Morgan Sherman . . . (later Hotel Climax- men only, but women were imported in droves.)

  18 Sheldon Street Maria Coffee - 1895

  21 Shelton Street Jo Bullock (Jennie Hollister)

  107 State Street Frank Russell’s saloon

  137 State Street Caroline Webster- 1899

  163 State Street Maria Jacob’s place (with her husband

  Henry)-1895

  Adolph and Minnie Russell, Anna Castaybert

  Anna Castaybert –1899

  May Minor - 1900

  Laura Phillips

  165 State Street Tom Hollister- 1866-1874

  Tom Hollister & Jo Bullock- 1875-1883

  Lizzie Cadwell’s-1883-1894

  Grace Howard & Billy West- 1893-1896

  Billy and Cora West-1896-1900, then Billy West

  to Norwich.

  Jessie Lansing - 1902

  Grace Howard - 1902-1907

  Tony Mousette’s Boulevard Hotel - 1908

  167 State Street J. E. Durant’s – 1874

  Charles Rosenthal – 1875 – saloon - backroom

  “Diamond Lucy” Chapman - 1877-87 (to New

  Haven)

  169 State Street Liz Cadd

  Daniel Dolancy - 1900

  171 State Street May Curley

  179 State Street Carrie Farnham -1880

  181 State Street Mary Montagne - 1894

  Carolyn Webster - early 1895

  Grace Morton

  Clara Simmons- 1903

  191 State Street Julia Jaquith - 1893

  May Cadwell - 1898

  Lillian Stanley -1899

  “May” Smith

  Lena Wooley- 1903

  Belle St. Clair -1907

  193 State Street Emma Kealey-1899

  Minnie Simmons- 1903-1907

  197 State Street Louise Clark - 1906

  Gussie Smithian -1907

  218 State Street Kate Lamphere

  245 State Street New England House . . .Ethel Graves (later with Dick Hyland)

  246 State Street Mary Elliott - 1896

  Eva Beck - 1899

  253 State Street Charley Patterson’s- 1874 - (crnr of Commerce)

  Nellie Roach

  261 State Street Blanche Russell- “Canadians, Italians, Irish, Swedish”

  Thomas F. & Nellie Somers - 1893

  Mrs. Herman Hunnebuck

  263 State Street Joe Weeks & Chas. Andrews - saloon - backroom

  265 State Street Mrs. Herman Hunnebuck -1896

  269 State Street Daniel Delaney, a.k.a. Amos Delurie - 1895

  State Street (lower) May Alton - 1906

  State Street Kate Pratt’s - 1874

  Statehouse Square American Hotel - backroom

  28 Temple Street Mrs. Martha Johnson’s
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  Rodney & Minnie McGinnis -1898

  38 Temple Street William C. Dwight’s saloon - backroom

  44 Temple Street W. W. Hunter’s - saloon - backroom

  46 Temple Street Toot’s place, H. B. & Toots Goodale

  52 Temple Street Hibbert “Hub” Smith’s saloon - backroom