Boudoirs to Brothels

Come peek between the covers for an intimate look at the lives of women of the Old West. Once "fallen" or widowed, a woman had few options and almost none that were socially acceptable. Many turned to the red light district to survive.

Mary Elizabeth Haley was born into a wealthy Texas ranch family, but she was kidnapped in a Comanche raid at age ten. Three years later, her father paid a ransom for her return. Fearing Mary had been defiled, the family shunned her. When she brought home a sui...