Historic Homes of Denver: Happenings in Denver’s History - Prositituion and Prohibition

Did you ever think that the various aspects of prostitution that I have blogged about would have an impact on women's rights in Denver?  Well in a round about way it really did.

Denver did have it's own Red Light District along Market St in present day Lodo in the mid to late 1800's.  However, there were also brothels close to major hotels such as the Brown Palace with it's underground tunnels leading to and from the brothels and the "Soiled Doves".

But there were also "Call Girls" so to speak.  Women that would frequent "wine rooms" where they would meet and leave with men...for a price.  Certain members of Denver's society found this type of behavior so abhorrent for places like the Brown Palace or the Oxford Hotel that in 1891, a law was passed prohibiting un-escorted women from entering a business where alcohol was served.

Now I don't know about you, but if I was a woman in the 1890's that had walked half way across this country to make a new life "Out West" it wouldn't have set well with me being told I COULDN'T go into the Cruise Room at the Oxford Hotel for a glass of wine.  Other Denver women of the day felt much the same way, it's just that many of them were hookers!  Denver's Mayor Robert Speer supported the law, yet, over the years the ordinance was "adjusted".  At one point the law was ammended with a time frame.  Saying that a woman couldn't go into a bar let's say after 8:00pm or 9:00pm.

In 1893, Denver women had enough and Womens Suffrage was adopted stating that "we girls" were supposed to be equal to men.
                                                                                                           

In 1901, Judge Peter Palmer ruled the law unconstitutional.  BUT in 1902 the Colorado Supreme Court overturned Judge Palmer's decision, and once again Colorado women were prohibited from entering a bar, saloon or wine room alone.

By 1912, Denver had formed a "Morals Commission".  New rules were instituted to prohibit working girls from soliciting male patrons.   But the power players in the "Morals Commission" felt that there was one common denomiator and that was alcohol.

By 1914, Colorado voters approved a statewide prohibition of Alcohol, officially making Colorado a dry state.  This was before Prohibition was adopted in the rest of the country.

Of course the elimination of alcohol did not shut down prostitution in Denver, it just made some people crankier!  When bordellos were officially outlawed, the number of street walkers and call girls when up dramatically.

I guess it just goes to show you that some things don't change much.  In this case the worlds oldest profession and booze.  Both of which can be found in Denver in 2011.  In fact, just today, I bought a lovely bottle of Old Vine Zin that I plan on enjoying this evening!

 

If You have any questions about Historic Homes in Denver or any Metro Denver area Real Estate...Please contact me at Kerry@kerryklun.com or 303.549.0818. Visit us on the web at www.HistoricHomesofDenver.com

Posted By: Kerry Klun - 303-549-0818
kerry@kerryklun.com

To Search for Homes in Historic Denver

To find out what your Home in Denver is Worth