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Colorado Madams
In 1858, prospectors discovered gold where Cherry Creek meets the South Platte River (today’s downtown Denver), sparking a gold rush that drew more than 100,000 fortune seekers to the territory. Among them were enterprising women seeking their own motherlode―riches dug straight from the pockets of miners, merchants, railroad workers, and any other men with money to burn.
Forget your stodgy high school American history class. The madams of early Colorado were more complex―and far more brazen―than conventional western lore might lead you to believe. In Colorado Madams, Meet Ada Lamont, a preacher’s widow turned prostitute, perhaps the first woman to advertise her wares on Cherry Creek. And Verona Baldwin, scandalized by one of the wealthiest men in California, only to turn her shame into fame as the owner of the most exclusive parlor house in Denver. Here too is Laura Evens, who once attended a costume ball dressed as a nun, and Trinidad’s savvy Mae Phelps, a leader in offering health care to working girls and a founder of a rest home for retired prostitutes.
As told by author Michael Rutter, the stories of these women come alive with voluptuous detail, authentic photographs, and historical context. Make yourself comfortable and enter the seductive world of Colorado Madams.
Forget your stodgy high school American history class. The madams of early Colorado were more complex―and far more brazen―than conventional western lore might lead you to believe. In Colorado Madams, Meet Ada Lamont, a preacher’s widow turned prostitute, perhaps the first woman to advertise her wares on Cherry Creek. And Verona Baldwin, scandalized by one of the wealthiest men in California, only to turn her shame into fame as the owner of the most exclusive parlor house in Denver. Here too is Laura Evens, who once attended a costume ball dressed as a nun, and Trinidad’s savvy Mae Phelps, a leader in offering health care to working girls and a founder of a rest home for retired prostitutes.
As told by author Michael Rutter, the stories of these women come alive with voluptuous detail, authentic photographs, and historical context. Make yourself comfortable and enter the seductive world of Colorado Madams.
224 pages, Paperback
Published October 6, 2022
9 people want to read
About the author
Michael Rutter
77 books10 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Michael Rutter has authored or co-authored nearly 40 books and 600 articles for magazines and newspapers. He was awarded the Ben Franklin Award for Outdoor Writing and the Rocky Mountain Book Publishers Association Award. Michael teaches advanced writing at Brigham Young University. He is also a Christa McAuliffe Fellow.
Michael Rutter has authored or co-authored nearly 40 books and 600 articles for magazines and newspapers. He was awarded the Ben Franklin Award for Outdoor Writing and the Rocky Mountain Book Publishers Association Award. Michael teaches advanced writing at Brigham Young University. He is also a Christa McAuliffe Fellow.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 21, 2022
I chose to read this book on a Thanksgiving Week train ride to Denver. It turned out to be a delightful read! Each story--and its protagonist come to life in Rutter's unique characterizations. As he, himself, quotes from the poet Horace, "...stories ought to instruct and delight". This book did just that for me.
I love reading good stories and each chapter--each page turn--provided rich detail, emotion, and intrigue that kept me engaged from start to finish.
I am not going to lie--the photos (historical and authentic) further aided my engagement throughout the book.
Thank you, my dear friend, Michael Rutter, for a truly enchanting "train ride" read!
I love reading good stories and each chapter--each page turn--provided rich detail, emotion, and intrigue that kept me engaged from start to finish.
I am not going to lie--the photos (historical and authentic) further aided my engagement throughout the book.
Thank you, my dear friend, Michael Rutter, for a truly enchanting "train ride" read!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews