History of vice in Texas
Encyclopedia
Vice
Vice is a practice or a behavior or habit considered immoral, depraved, or degrading in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a defect, an infirmity, or merely a bad habit. Synonyms for vice include fault, depravity, sin, iniquity, wickedness, and corruption...
activities, such as gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
and prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
, have historically been a significant facet of both the state's culture and its economy.
Law enforcement organizations have traditionally defined vice as including prostitution, gambling, alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
and narcotics, and pornography
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
. These activities, though always controversial, represented major influences in the state with some enterprises at times holding legendary status. The legal status of the individual activities has fluctuated substantially over time. Additionally during some periods individual communities and public officials have been accepting of many of these activities, even when they were illegal, because of corruption, because the activities were seen as inevitable, or often because the activities were economically important.
Early Texas and the Republic of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, the plant peyote
Peyote
Lophophora williamsii , better known by its common name Peyote , is a small, spineless cactus with psychoactive alkaloids, particularly mescaline.It is native to southwestern Texas and Mexico...
(peyotl in Nahuatl
Nahuatl
Nahuatl is thought to mean "a good, clear sound" This language name has several spellings, among them náhuatl , Naoatl, Nauatl, Nahuatl, Nawatl. In a back formation from the name of the language, the ethnic group of Nahuatl speakers are called Nahua...
) had become a popular hallucinogenic among tribes in the Rio Grande Valley
Rio Grande Valley
The Rio Grande Valley or the Lower Rio Grande Valley, informally called The Valley, is an area located in the southernmost tip of South Texas...
as well as parts of West Texas
West Texas
West Texas is a vernacular term applied to a region in the southwestern quadrant of the United States that primarily encompasses the arid and semi-arid lands in the western portion of the state of Texas....
and Chihuahua. Tribes in the area included the Carrizo Coahuiltecan
Coahuiltecan
Coahuiltecan or Paikawa was a proposed language family in John Wesley Powell's 1891 classification of Native American languages that consisted of Coahuilteco and Cotoname. The proposal was expanded to include Comecrudo, Karankawa, and Tonkawa...
and later the Lipan and Mescalero Apache, and even the Karankawa
Karankawa
Karankawa were a group of Native American peoples, now extinct as a tribal group, who played a pivotal part in early Texas history....
and the Caddo
Caddo
The Caddo Nation is a confederacy of several Southeastern Native American tribes, who traditionally inhabited much of what is now East Texas, northern Louisiana and portions of southern Arkansas and Oklahoma. Today the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma is a cohesive tribe with its capital at Binger, Oklahoma...
tribes. The plant came to be used for both recreational and ritual usage. Its hallucinogenic effects were regarded with suspicion among the Spaniards
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
and the drug was never widely used outside the Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
communities.
Gambling was a popular pastime in many parts of early Mexico including its northern territory of Texas. In some communities it was such an accepted norm that even children were known to participate with the adults.
As early as 1817 records show the presence of prostitution in the Spanish region which would become Texas. Prostitution at this time clearly met with official disapproval though it still took place.
As settlers from the United States moved into the Mexican Texas
Mexican Texas
Mexican Texas is the name given by Texas history scholars to the period between 1821 and 1836, when Texas was an integral part of Mexico. The period began with Mexico's victory over Spain in its war of independence in 1821. For the first several years of its existence, Mexican Texas operated very...
new settlements typically had saloons and gambling halls before churches were ever established. The pre-Civil-War era was a period of especially liberal alcohol consumption in Texas. The city of Houston was especially well-known at this time as a center of vice with businesses that sold liquor representing one of the largest business sectors. Nearby Fort Bend County
Fort Bend County, Texas
Fort Bend County is a county located along the Gulf Coast region in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. In 2000 its population was 354,452, while the 2010 U.S...
for a time registered more liquor licenses than all other businesses combined.
State of Texas in the 1800s
Even after Texas was admitted to the UnionUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the mid-19th century it remained in various ways a frontier territory throughout the 19th century. Though population centers became established early they were small. There was a steady stream of newcomers into the state with men generally outnumbering women, thus creating a demand for prostitutes. Many immigrants to the state were criminals and others fleeing the law from other parts of the U.S. This was so common, in fact, that in many communities it was considered impolite to ask too many details of one's past. The state held fast to an ideal of freedom which created a climate for the development of vice. One notable exception of this was the forbidding of a state lottery in the state constitution.
Following the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, during the Reconstruction era, lawlessness took hold in many frontier outposts, especially along the Mexican border. Smuggling operations as well as saloons and gambling houses became increasingly common. New settlements began to dot the western frontier of the state with gambling a popular form of recreation at the saloons for the numerous cowboys and buffalo hunters who passed through. Professional gamblers, such as "Doc" Holliday
Doc Holliday
John Henry "Doc" Holliday was an American gambler, gunfighter and dentist of the American Old West, who is usually remembered for his friendship with Wyatt Earp and his involvement in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral...
and "Lottie Deno
Lottie Deno
Carlotta J. Thompkins, also known as Lottie Deno , was a famous gambler in the U.S. state of Texas during the 19th century known for her poker skills as well as her courage....
" (Charlotte Thompkins), traveled circuits through these settlements preying on the unsuspecting. Unregulated gambling on the frontier reached its peak in the 1870s before communities began to establish more formal ordinances and more strictly enforce them. The 1870s in particular were an economic boom period on the Texas frontier because of a spike in demand for bison
Bison
Members of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...
hides. Towns and outposts from El Paso and San Antonio to Fort Griffin, Fort Worth, and Denison saw periodic arrivals of cowboys and traders flush with cash and frequently looking for entertainment including any form of vice a community might offer. For its part El Paso, which by this time was a relatively large community, was still predominantly a way station for commerce between the interior of Mexico and New Mexico. Its largest business sectors revolved around gaming, drinking, and prostitution. The small frontier outpost of Fort Griffin
Fort Griffin
Fort Griffin was a Cavalry fort established in the late 1860s in the northern part of West Texas, specifically northwestern Shackelford County, to give settlers protection from early Comanche and Kiowa raids...
became one of the most notorious centers of vice and lawlessness.
Galveston and Houston earned early reputations for making drinking, and other vices, glamorous. Very early on imported alcoholic beverages of every variety could be found in shops and hotels within these cities. In the 1840s German scientist and author Ferdinand von Roemer
Ferdinand von Roemer
Carl Ferdinand von Roemer , German geologist, had originally been educated for the legal profession at Göttingen, but became interested in geology, and abandoning law in 1840, studied science at the University of Berlin, where he graduated Ph.D...
remarked on one of Houston's taverns:
Marijuana was commonly sold in drugstores and other shops in these cities though this was largely seen as a recreational drug for the lower classes. The drug was also common in El Paso and other border communities.
By the end of the 19th century many of the state's cities had their own thriving vice districts. Galveston had the Postoffice Street district. San Antonio had the "Sporting District." Fort Worth had "Hell's Half Acre". Though prostitution was, strictly speaking, illegal in most of the cities, it was not only tolerated but accepted. Bordellos were commonly licensed, and the businesses and prostitutes were "taxed" by way of regular fines that were imposed upon them. The red-light districts became accepted tourist attractions. In San Antonio, following the practice in other parts of the U.S., an annual guide was published for the city's Sporting District
San Antonio Sporting District
The Sporting District in the U.S. city of San Antonio was a red-light district in the late 19th and early 20th century. It was established by the city council to manage prostitution in the city. For a time it was one of the nation's largest vice districts with venues ranging from brothels to...
ranking the brothel's according to quality and cost.
Though for women prostitution was often the highest paying opportunity, few prostitutes were every able to raise themselves out of poverty, and they were always faced with the threat of violence and disease. As there were few relief agencies or respectable jobs for widows or abandoned women there was always a steady supply of women in the trade.
Public drunkenness was increasingly reported on as serious issue. Texans overall were notorious as heavy drinkers. Reports at the end of the 19th century indicate a public perception that drinking was a major cause of early deaths in the state. The temperance movement began to gain a foothold as a result.
Progressive era and Prohibition
| City | District |
|---|---|
| Austin | "Guy Town" |
| Amarillo | "The Bowery" |
| Beaumont | "The Reservation" |
| Corpus Christi | "The Flats" |
| Dallas | "Frogtown" |
| El Paso | "Utah Street" |
| Fort Worth | "Hell's Half Acre" |
| Galveston | "Postoffice Street" |
| Houston | "Happy Hollow" |
| San Antonio | "Sporting District" |
| Waco | "Two Street" |
Over the course of the 19th century a Progressive Movement gained strength in Protestant areas of Europe and in much of North America. This movement favored the elimination of vice and perceived immorality in society, often through legislative means. Texas enacted "local option" laws that allowed counties and towns to ban alcohol within their borders. Some communities began to individually outlaw alcohol consumption.
The Progressive Era
Progressive Era
The Progressive Era in the United States was a period of social activism and political reform that flourished from the 1890s to the 1920s. One main goal of the Progressive movement was purification of government, as Progressives tried to eliminate corruption by exposing and undercutting political...
in the U.S. reached its height in the early 20th century. Attitudes in much of Texas turn decided against alcohol, gambling, and other vices. North Texas and the Panhandle became the center of alcohol prohibitionist sentiment with most of North Texas outside of Dallas and Fort Worth becoming dry by 1903. Central and East Texas also held strong anti-alcohol contingents while the German and Mexican population in South Texas was largely anti-prohibition. Still by 1920 most legal saloons in the state had been shut down and alcohol prohibition had come to dominate in Texas politics.
Handling of prostitution was still mixed. City leaders continued to believe that it was impossible to eradicate prostitution altogether and the notion of creating red-light districts to contain it persisted. In 1906 Dallas city commissioners created the "Frogtown" district northwest of downtown officially making prostitution legal, in contradiction to state law. The Texas Supreme Court, however, struck down the ordinance in 1911.
The federal Mann Act
Mann Act
The White-Slave Traffic Act, better known as the Mann Act, is a United States law, passed June 25, 1910 . It is named after Congressman James Robert Mann, and in its original form prohibited white slavery and the interstate transport of females for “immoral purposes”...
of 1910 and other legislation was enacted to bring an end to prostitution. The red-light districts in Dallas, Austin, and Amarillo were closed in 1914. The districts in Houston and El Paso were closed in 1917 under pressure from the U.S. Secretary of War Newton D. Baker
Newton D. Baker
Newton Diehl Baker, Jr. was an American politician who belonged to the Democratic Party. He served as the 37th mayor of Cleveland, Ohio from 1912 to 1915 and as U.S. Secretary of War from 1916 to 1921.-Early years:...
because of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The districts in most other communities were closed as well. The closure of the openly operating brothels and saloons also led to the closure of most openly operating (but illegal) gambling venues since these were typically in or associated with these establishments.
Two notable exceptions to this trend were San Antonio and Galveston whose vice districts, though put under pressure during World War I, were never closed. Though most cities had always made at least a pretense of trying to suppress vice, prostitution, gambling, and drinking continued openly, even during the Progressive Era, and often with the acceptance of city leaders. Commenting on the Church's attitudes toward vice the Roman Catholic bishop of Galveston, was once quoted as saying
The crowning achievement of the Progressive era was the passing of the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Eighteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution established Prohibition in the United States. The separate Volstead Act set down methods of enforcing the Eighteenth Amendment, and defined which "intoxicating liquors" were prohibited, and which were excluded from prohibition...
and the Volstead Act
Volstead Act
The National Prohibition Act, known informally as the Volstead Act, was the enabling legislation for the Eighteenth Amendment which established prohibition in the United States...
, which together outlawed the sale of liquor. Texas and most of the U.S. had reached a point where most vice activities were firmly outlawed. Prohibition, though publicly embraced by community leaders, was privately widely unpopular in the state. Moonshining, the illegal production of liquor, had become increasingly common in the late 19th century. Moonshiners, notorious gamblers, and other outlaws had come to be seen by many as folk heroes. The passage of Prohibition nationwide had the immediate effect of creating a lucrative opportunity for organized crime and other individuals to supply the now illegal beverages. Among the greatest beneficiaries were the organized crime syndicates in Galveston, which became the primary importers and suppliers for Houston, Dallas, Denver, St. Louis and Omaha
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
, as well as numerous other communities in Texas and the Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
. This development became the genesis of a thriving tourist industry on the island run by organized crime figures Sam
Sam Maceo
Salvatore Maceo, also known as Sam Maceo, was a businessman, community leader, and organized crime boss in Galveston, Texas in the United States. Because of his efforts, Galveston Island became a nationally known resort town during the early and mid 20th century, a period known as Galveston's Open...
and Rosario Maceo
Rosario Maceo
Rosario Maceo , also known as Papa Rose or Rose Maceo, was a Sicilian immigrant and organized crime boss in Galveston, Texas in the United States. Because of his efforts and those of his brother Sam, Galveston Island became a nationally known resort town during the early and mid 20th century,...
.
San Antonio's Sporting District continued to operate and thrive during this era, though public officials increasingly found themselves under scrutiny. The El Paso region also became an important beneficiary of the Progressive era albeit somewhat indirectly. The twin cities of El Paso (USA) and Juarez (Mexico) were originally a single town and, even after being split by national boundaries, continued to function as essentially a single community. Rather than attempt to fight the efforts to suppress vice in the U.S. many operators of vice simply established their businesses in Juarez where laws were more lenient and law enforcement was quite lax. This situation, particularly with the army post of Fort Bliss in the area, created a lucrative tourist trade that benefited both sides of the border.
In Houston, though there was no established district for it in the later years of the Progressive era, gambling venues continued to operate openly in the city. One of the city's most famous casinos was the "Domain Privee", an exclusive casino inside a mansion run by notorious gambler Jakie Freedman. Freedman ran bookmaking and other gambling enterprises in the city, eventually being referred to as the "prince of Houston gambling" by author George Fuermann. He became so wealthy that his decision not to withdraw his money from Houston's First National Bank, one of the state's oldest financial institutions, is credited with saving the bank from collapse during the Depression.
In 1937 the Texas Department of Public Safety
Texas Department of Public Safety
The Texas Department of Public Safety is a department of the government of the state of Texas. The DPS is responsible for statewide law enforcement and vehicle regulation. The Public Safety Commission oversees the DPS. Its five members are appointed by the Governor of Texas and confirmed by the...
added a narcotics section because of increasing public concerns over drug abuse.
World War II and the post-war boom
San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas continued to be significant vice dens though their activities were not conducted as openly as in the past. The most successful exception to the trend toward closing down vice in Texas was Galveston. Vice-based tourism continued to operate successfully on the island into the 1950s. Federal authorities scored some victories against the Galveston's vice during the late 1930s (notably the closing of the famed Hollywood Dinner Club), but gambling and prostitution continued openly with the support of the community. Houston also had some major open gambling venues as late as the 1950s. One of the most important facilitators of these gambling rackets was "Fat Jack" Halfen, an organized crime boss with connections to the Chicago and Dallas mafia who paid off city and county officials.
Though during the early 20th century gambling had been mostly illegal throughout the nation, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
legalized gambling in 1931. Initially this development sparked minimal national attention but during the 1940s the city of Las Vegas had begun to attract national attention from gaming figures around the country. As tolerance of illegal gambling and other vice in Texas gradually waned and crackdowns on vice by state and local officials increased, many gaming leaders in the state began to move their operations to the Nevada desert becoming instrumental in the city's development. Galveston's Sam Maceo became a major investor and facilitator for Moe Dalitz
Moe Dalitz
Morris Barney "Moe" Dalitz was a Jewish American bootlegger, racketeer, casino owner and philanthropist who was one of the major figures who helped shape Las Vegas, Nevada in the 20th century. He was often referred to as Mr...
's Desert Inn
Desert Inn
The Desert Inn was a Paradise, Nevada, hotel/casino that operated from April 24, 1950, to August 28, 2000. Designed by noted New York architect Jac Lessman, it was the fifth resort to open on the Las Vegas Strip. The property included an 18-hole golf course. Locals nicknamed the resort "The D.I."...
, which opened in Las Vegas in 1950. Houston's Jakie Freedman opened the Sands Hotel and Casino
Sands Hotel
The Sands Hotel was a historic Las Vegas Strip hotel/casino that operated from December 15, 1952 to June 30, 1996. Designed by architect Wayne McAllister, the Sands was the seventh resort that opened on the Strip....
in 1952 at a cost of $5.5 million ($ in today's terms). Dallas crime boss Benny Binion
Benny Binion
Lester Ben "Benny" Binion was a well-known American casino owner, mobster, poker enthusiast, and convicted felon.-Early history:...
was a partner in the Las Vegas Club
Las Vegas Club
The Las Vegas Club is a casino-hotel located in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada owned by the Tamares Group and operated by Navegante along with the Plaza Hotel & Casino across Main street.-History:...
and opened the Binion's Horseshoe
Binion's Horseshoe
Binion's Horseshoe, also known as the Horseshoe Casino or simply The Horseshoe, was a hotel and casino located in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada on what is now the Fremont Street Experience. The casino was named for its founder, Benny Binion and had 366 rooms, three restaurants and a rooftop pool.The...
casino. Galveston's American National Insurance Company
American National Insurance Company
American National Insurance Company is a major American insurance corporation based in Galveston, Texas. The company and its subsidiaries operate in all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and American Samoa.-Company description:...
helped to finance much of the development Las Vegas and was even investigated for its connections to organized crime
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
.
By the 1950s, Galveston's Maceo brothers had exited the gambling business in Galveston, and the Fertittas, who had taken over, could not maintain the influence over the island that the Maceos had. Non-vice crime on the island grew and Galveston became a haven for criminals from other parts of the country. State and county officials launched large-scale operations to shut down open gambling and prostitution throughout the state. During the 1950s problems with prostitution and other vice were reported on much more heavily than in the past reflecting new attitudes of intolerance toward the practice. By the end of the decade the era of these open vice dens in Texas was mostly over. Galveston was among the most affected cities by this as its economy had been heavily dependent on the tourism generated by open vice. Its economy became stagnant for many years afterward.
Though prostitution still existed in Texas, by 1960 the practice had declined to levels far below the peak between the world wars. Rather than attempting to fully eradicate prostitution, public officials focused efforts on eliminating street prostitution and other more visible forms of the practice, as well as severing ties to organized crime.
Recent times
By the mid-20th century most major vice activities were being actively targeted by law enforcement in the state. Though alcohol consumption was legalized, in many areas it was still substantially restricted and, even today, some counties in the state remain dry or retain significant restrictions. Most other activities went underground and have remained largely hidden. In 1969 major legislation was enacted directed at alcohol and narcotics. The Implied Consent law was passed requiring that drivers agree to breath tests when arrested for suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Statutes against narcotics were strengthened giving police and prosecutors more ability to target offenders.Prostitution, which once was largely a cottage industry run by madams, has increasingly become run by pimp
Pimp
A pimp is an agent for prostitutes who collects part of their earnings. The pimp may receive this money in return for advertising services, physical protection, or for providing a location where she may engage clients...
s and figures who engage in white slavery and other abusive practices. Regulation of the prostitution for health standards and for protection of the workers has become virtually non-existent.
Narcotics have become an increasingly serious issue nationwide with Texas becoming an important port of entry resulting from its proximity to Mexico. Illegal drugs shipped through the state supply a large portion of the nation stretching from the Midwest to the Southeast. In the 1980s the seriousness of the problem led to the Texas National Guard
Texas National Guard
The Texas National Guard consists of the Texas Army National Guard and the Texas Air National Guard. The Guard is administered by the adjutant general, an appointee of the governor of Texas. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state...
adding drug law enforcement to its duties to supplement the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and the Texas Department of Public Safety
Texas Department of Public Safety
The Texas Department of Public Safety is a department of the government of the state of Texas. The DPS is responsible for statewide law enforcement and vehicle regulation. The Public Safety Commission oversees the DPS. Its five members are appointed by the Governor of Texas and confirmed by the...
. DEA authorities regularly seize shipments of drug proceeds en route to Mexico that can amount to millions of dollars at a time. Apart from the direct problems associated with narcotics, drug-related violence throughout the state has become an increasingly serious issue.
The later 20th century saw a relaxing of national sentiments against gambling. In 1987 Texas voters in a referendum chose to allow parimutuel wagering within the state. In 1991 voters approved a constitutional amendment authorizing a state lottery, which began operation in 1992. In 1987 the U.S. Supreme Court recognized the right of Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
tribes to establishing gambling parlors within their jurisdiction. In 1993 the Tigua tribe opened a casino in El Paso, despite the objections of the governor's office. It became the subject of major court battles before being shut down. In 1996 the Kickapoo tribe opened a casino in Eagle Pass
Eagle Pass, Texas
Eagle Pass is a city in and the county seat of Maverick County The population was 27,183 as of the 2010 census.Eagle Pass borders the city of Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, which is to the southwest and across the Rio Grande. The Eagle Pass-Piedras Negras Metropolitan Area is one of six...
near the Mexico border. It is today the only casino legally recognized by the state.
Hell's Half Acre (Fort Worth)
Though Hell's Half Acre became a popular euphemism for red-light districts throughout Texas the most well-known district to use this name was the one in Fort WorthFort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
. The area developed in the 1870s as a rest stop on the cattle trails from Texas through Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
. It quickly became populated with saloons, brothels, and other vice dens offering gambling, liquor, and prostitutes.
The Acre soon became known for its violence and lawlessness, and was sometimes referred to as the town's "Bloody Third Ward." It became a hide-out for thieves and violent criminals such as Sam Bass
Sam Bass
Sam Bass was a nineteenth-century American train robber and outlaw.-Early life:Bass was orphaned at the age of 10. For the next five years, he and his siblings lived with an abusive uncle. In 1869, he set out on his own and spent the next year in Mississippi...
. This led to crackdowns by law enforcement though they rarely interfered with the gambling and other vice operations in the area. The commercially successful area grew reaching its height in the late 19th century when it covered 2.5 acre (0.01011715 km²) of the city. The Acre was an important source of income for the town, and despite outside pressures against the illegal activities, Fort Worth officials were reluctant to take action.
The major complaints against the area within the community were primarily against the dance halls and brothels, which reformers saw as the most immoral, as well as the general violence. The saloons and gambling halls were generally less of a concern. In 1889 following serious bouts of violence in the city, officials shut down many of the activities that were deemed as most directly contributing to the violence. By 1900s the Acre's popularity as a destination for out-of-town visitors had diminished dramatically. The Progressive movement of the early 20th century put increasing pressure on the area until it was shut down in 1917.
Sporting District (San Antonio)
The San Antonio red-light district known as the "Sporting District" was established in 1889 by the city council to contain and regulate prostitution. The area became home to brothels, dance halls, saloons, gambling parlors, and other illegal, or at least vice-oriented, businesses. City officials did not officially condone the activities but rather unofficially regulated them. The area also included many legitimate businesses including hotels and restaurants.By the early 20th century the District had become so large that, not only was it the largest red-light district in Texas, but it was one of the largest in the nation. Businesses in the area provided the city with $50,000 ($ in today's terms) annually in licensing fees. The most successful brothels boasted amenities such as ballrooms and orchestras. Due to the area's size a "Blue Book" was published as a tourist guide for visitors. The 1911-1912 edition listed 106 vice entertainment venues as well as many other businesses.
An unusual facet of San Antonio's red-light district compared to other cities was the lack of segregation
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
in this area. Despite the general segregation that permeated society in Texas around the turn of the 20th century, establishments in the Sporting District generally catered to black
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
men just as much as "white" men.
The District was finally shut down in 1941 by Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
, who commanded Fort Sam Houston
Fort Sam Houston
Fort Sam Houston is a U.S. Army post in San Antonio, Texas.Known colloquially as "Fort Sam," it is named for the first President of the Republic of Texas, Sam Houston....
.
Chicken Ranch
In 1905, Jessie Williams, known as "Miss Jessie," bought a small house in La GrangeLa Grange, Texas
La Grange is a city in Fayette County, Texas, near the Colorado River. The population was 4,478 at the 2000 census. The 2006 estimated population was 4,645. But a 2010 census estimated that the city had a population of 4,923...
and opened a brothel. Williams maintained a good relationship with local law enforcement and ensured that her house was respectable by excluding drunkards and admitting politicians and lawmen. After receiving word of an imminent crusade against the red-light district, Williams sold her house and purchased 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) just outside the city limits of La Grange. Business developed steadily particularly during World War I, and the nondescript house was gradually expanded as business grew.
During the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, Williams was forced to lower the prices she charged to the point that she implemented the "poultry standard," charging one chicken for each sexual act. The number of chickens at the brothel exploded, and soon the nickname "Chicken Ranch" was born. Williams supplemented her income by selling surplus chickens and eggs. As the Depression ended, the brothel returned to a cash basis and prospered, with lines of men at the door each weekend. In the 1950s Williams turned over the operation to a young prostitute named Edna Milton.
The Chicken Ranch, which had operated for decades with the knowledge of state authorities, was finally closed in 1973 by the state and local authorities after a scandalous report by Houston reporter Marvin Zindler
Marvin Zindler
Marvin Harold Zindler was a news reporter for television station KTRK-TV in Houston, Texas, United States. His investigative journalism, through which he mostly represented the city's elderly and working class, made him one of the city's most influential and well-known media personalities.-Early...
. The Ranch's notoriety following the scandal made it one of the famous brothels in U.S. history. Its fame later became the inspiration for the 1978 Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
musical and then movie The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is a musical with a book by Texas author Larry L. King and Peter Masterson and music and lyrics by Carol Hall...
.
Free State of Galveston
Galveston had become one of the largest shipping centers in the nation during the 19th century, but the Galveston Hurricane of 1900Galveston Hurricane of 1900
The Hurricane of 1900 made landfall on the city of Galveston in the U.S. state of Texas, on September 8, 1900.It had estimated winds of at landfall, making it a Category 4 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale...
destroyed much of the city and made outside investors leary of continuing to put money into the island. The city nevertheless rebuilt quickly but struggled to regain its footing economically. Attempting to diversify away from shipping, business leaders tried various means of reviving tourism and establishing new enterprises such as insurance.
As with most larger communities in Texas, gambling and prostitution were common in Galveston during the 19th century. In the early 20th century Postoffice Street became a well-established red-light housing most of the city's prostitutes. Gangs divided the city running gambling and other illegal enterprises. With the advent of Prohibition in 1920 a major economic opportunity opened up in the town. The gangs quickly made Galveston one of the major U.S. ports of entry for illegal liquor supplying cities in Texas and the Midwest. Revenue generated by the liquor trade helped finance expansion of gambling in the city.
During the mid-1920s two brothers, Sam and Rosario Maceo, managed to take control of the island's underworld. The brothers quickly made the island a nationally known tourist destination with gambling, liquor, and prostitution as the island's core attractions. Though prostitution was mostly confined to Postoffice Street, gambling and liquor were ubiquitous throughout the island. Galveston featured some of the nation's most elegant clubs (which had casinos as their main attractions) and hosted major entertainment figures from around the nation. Lax attitudes among the citizens, city officials, and even county officials led to the island being referred to humorously as the "Free State of Galveston".
Even as vice and red-light districts were shut down in most Texas cities from the 1910s to the 1940s Galveston's vice-based tourism continued to thrive. As Las Vegas began to develop in the late 1940s the Maceos moved to re-establish their empire in the new desert gaming center. Galveston began to decline without their influence and finally state and county authorities shut down gambling and prostitution on the island in 1957. Tourism crashed taking the rest of the island's economy with it and the city entered a long period of stagnation.
See also
- Gambling in the United StatesGambling in the United StatesGambling is legally restricted in the United States, but its availability and participation is increasing. In 2007, gambling activities generated gross revenues of $92.27 billion in the United States. Commercial casinos provided 354,000 jobs, and state and local tax revenues of $5.2 billion...
- Prohibition in the United StatesProhibition in the United StatesProhibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...