These are stories that need to be told. Women with no other means of surviving have to sell themselves to live. It was and still is a very dangerous world for these women to live in.
Terms of a fast life in the census are, bawd, bawdy house, house of ill fame, house of ill repute, concubine, courtesan, soiled dove, cyprian and hadot have in common? Enumerators used all of them , and more, as job descriptions for prostitutes in the 1880 US census.
Anna Smith was born about 1878, she was a Native American who died at age 29 from alcoholism.
Her death index from Ancestry
Name: Anna Smith
Age: 29
Birth Date: abt 1878
Gender: Female
Death Date: Abt 1907
Burial Date: 31 May 1907
Burial Place: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
States she was a prostitute and died from cirrhosis of the liver. She was buried in Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis, MO.
Anna Guss was born about 1849 She was a prostitute also died of alcoholism 27 Nov 1880 in St Louis, MO and was buried in Pottersfield she died at 909 N 12th. She was 31 years old.
Death Index from Ancestry
Name: Anna Guss
Gender: Female
Race: White
Nationality: USA
Marital Status: Married
Death Age: 31
Birth Date: abt 1849
Birth Place: Potters Field
Death Date: 27 Nov 1880
Death Place: 909 N 12th
Cause of Death: Alcoholism
Burial Place: Potters Field
Occupation: Prostitute
Her Find A Grave Memorial link is below.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/229808671/anna-guss
Mary Cheatham born Jan 1884 in Missouri. She was murdered. I did not find any newspaper articles on her murder. She was only 22 years old.
Her death index from Ancestry
Name: Mary Cheatham
Gender: Female
Race: Colored (Black)
Age: 22
Birth Date: abt 1884
Death Date: 14 Nov 1906
Death Place: Clark, St Louis, Missouri, USA
The 1900 Census for Missouri lists her at age 16 in a workhouse.
Name: Mary Cheattham
[Mary Cheatthan]
Age: 16
Birth Date: Jan 1884
Birthplace: Missouri, USA
Home in 1900: St Louis Ward 10, St Louis (Independent City), Missouri
Ward of City: 10th
Street: South Broadway
House Number: 4200
Sheet Number: 1
Institution: Work House
Number of Dwelling in Order of Visitation: 1
Family Number: 1
Race: Black
Gender: Female
Relation to Head of House: Prisoner
Marital Status: Single
Father's Birthplace: Missouri, USA
Mother's Birthplace: Missouri, USA
Can Read: Yes
Can Write: Yes
Can Speak English: Yes
Here are some photos I found of this workhouse.
Alice St Claire was born 11 Feb 1881 Michigan.
She committed suicide 4 Jan 1903 Saginaw, MI at age 22, by sulfuric acid.
Name: Alice St. Claire
Birth Date: abt 1881
Birth Place: Michigan
Death Date: 4 Jan 1903
Death Place: Saginaw, Michigan
Burial Date: 6 Jan 1903
Burial Place: Saginaw, Michigan
Cemetery Name: Forest Lawn Vault
Death Age: 22
Occupation: Common Prostitute
Race: White
Marital Status: Single
Gender: Female
Anna Whisner was born abt 1882 in New York
She committed suicide 18 Dec 1903 in Saginaw, MI. By sulfuric acid.
Name: Ada Whisner
Birth Date: abt 1882
Birth Place: New York
Death Date: 18 Dec 1903
Death Place: Saginaw, Michigan
Burial Date: 22 Dec 1903
Cemetery Name: Sag. Co. Poor Farm
Death Age: 21
Occupation: Prostitute
Race: White
Marital Status: Single
Gender: Female
Sulfuric Acid: It can cause severe skin burns, can irritate the nose and throat and cause difficulties breathing if inhaled, can burn the eyes and possibly cause blindness, and can burn holes in the stomach if swallowed. What a horrible way to die. There were no newspaper articles on either of these ladies deaths.
Why did they feel there was no way out for them? To think that they were all alone in the world and had no where to turn is heart breaking. I do not want these women to be forgotten.
I found a couple YouTube videos I found interesting here they are just click the play button on the photo to watch.
Prostitution and White Slavery
Here's a link explaining the Mann Act/White Slavery
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