Friday, November 11th 6:30 pm with a reception followed by the program at 7:00 pm.
Cost $3.00.
OLD COLORADO CITY HISTORY CENTER
1 South 24th Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904
719-636-1225 board@occhs.org
A history of the Pikes Peak region includes not only the Indians, the railroads, gold and Pikes Peak but also prostitution. In the late 1890’s Colorado City was full of life thanks in part to dry Colorado Springs. The business of prostitution flourished. Laura Belle McDaniel, known as “Queen of the Tenderloin”, arrived in Colorado City in about 1891 and it wasn’t long before she was running one of the fanciest brothels in town. Laura Belle was born in November 1861 – 150 years ago!
Join the Old Colorado City Historical Society as we celebrate her 150th birthday with special refreshments and an illustrated program by local historian Jan MacKell on Friday, Nov 11th. Her detailed program will take us from Laura’s humble beginnings in Missouri to her successful business in Colorado City to her untimely and suspicious death in a car accident in 1918.
Jan is the author of Brothels, Bordellos & Bad Girls: Prostitution in Colorado 1860-1930 and Red Light Women of the Rocky Mountains, which won her a nomination for Women Writing the West's WILLA award in 2010. She has researched madams of the West for over 15 years. As Jan Collins, she has been Director of the Cripple Creek District Museum in Cripple Creek for five years.
The program will take place at the Old Colorado City History Center & Museum, 1 S. 24th street, Colorado Springs starting at 6:30 pm with a reception followed by the program at 7:00 pm. Cost $3.00.
Info 719-636-1225 or board@occhs.org. For more rich history about the original Colorado City, visit the Society’s website at www.occhs.org Jan’s book Brothels, Bordellos & Bad Girls will be available for purchase.
Victorian attire welcome for this special celebration!
