The Soiled Doves

Plenty of notorious madams and prostitutes were considered fixtures in old Western towns, some were so popular and successful they became millionaires. These women came from all over the world, despite the harsh conditions they had to endure.

These scarlet women had different, surprisingly poetic nicknames, depending on the region. In California, they were labeled “soiled doves” by the cowboys, and “ladies of the line” or “sporting women” by the California ’49er. Other nicknames were “fallen frails,” “doves of the roost,” “nymphs du prairie” and “fallen angles.”