Lesson 6: Prostitution in the West-Soiled Doves
Hookers with Hearts of Gold
Julia Bullette
Julia Bulette was a mulatto Creole who lived and worked in Virginia City, Nevada around 1854. Rumor has it she was once paid 1,000 dollars by a lonely miner to spend the night with him. Julia had a fine cottage known as "Julia's Place" with lace curtains and nice carpet. She gave to charity and was well-liked by the townspeople. One night three intruders broke into her room and robbed and strangled her. Julia was 35 at the time of the brutal murder. The town was outraged, and businesses shut down for her funeral. Even though the town made much of her death with an expensive funeral, Julia was not buried in consecrated soil, but outside the cemetery where respectable folks were buried. A few years later, a man named John Millain was arrested for her murder when jewels belonging to her were found in his room. Millain was hanged. The other two were never caught.
Molly b'Dam
Maggie Hall was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1853. She was from a good, religious family and well-educated. A striking beauty, she had golden blonde hair and blue eyes. At twenty, Maggie journeyed to America to find work. However, after arriving in New York, she found that few jobs were available. She took work as a barmaid. A man from a wealthy family named Burdan fell in love with the comely barmaid and married her. However, when his father found out he had married a saloon girl, he cut off his allowance. Burdan pleaded with his new wife to entertain men so that they could have an income and after much soul-searching she gave in to his pleadings. At 24, she left her ne'er do well husband and went out west. She became a high-priced prostitute. Near Murray, Idaho, she impressed people with her kindness when she stopped to help a mother and child stranded by a blizzard. When she arrived in Murray, her Irish brogue made her name sound like Molly B'Dam rather than Burden. From then on, she was known as Molly B'Dam. She became a madam, and was well-liked by the townspeople of Murray. She was known for her tireless help during a smallpox epidemic which swept through the town. Though Molly did not contract smallpox, she became ill with consumption and died shortly after.
Silver Heels
The legend of Silver Heels hails from the Fairplay area of Colorado. According to legend she was a dance hall girl in Buckskin Joe, a small town near Fairplay. She was described as beautiful and a wonderful dancer. She derived her name from the silver slippers she wore. She fell in love with one of the miners in the camp, and they planned to marry. Shortly after, a smallpox epidemic swept over the town. People left the small town in droves to avoid catching the disease, but Silver Heels remained to nurse her stricken lover. After his death, she helped others who had fallen ill. When the epidemic was over the townspeople wished to reward her, but Silver Heels could not be found. They named a beautiful mountain after her. Years later, a heavily-veiled woman visited the cemetery. Some believe that Silver Heels, terribly scarred from the smallpox, had returned to visit her lover's grave. There are other variations of this tale, and no one really knows whether Silver Heels is a product of truth of legend.
For further reading about these women:
Ladies of the Lamplight Blair, Kay Reynolds. Western Reflections Publishing, Ouray, CO. 2000. (Julia Bullette, Silver Heels)
Soiled Doves:Prostitution in the Old West Seagraves, Ann. Wesanne Publications, Hayden, Idaho 1994.
(Molly B'Dam)
