Mollie Johnson
Encyclopedia
Deadwood Madam Mollie Johnson was a 19th Century madam
. Johnson was born in Alabama
, and migrated west due to the demand for working prostitutes. Indications are that she began working that trade in her early teens, around the age of 15 or 16 by some reports. However, definite information on her early life is unconfirmed.
She was known in Deadwood, South Dakota
as the "Queen of the Blondes". Her nickname came from the fact that she had three blonde protégés who worked for her who also maintained their own boarding house
s. The twenty-ish foursome, Mollie Johnson and her girls Ida Clark, Ida Cheplan and Jennie Duchesneau, were often embroiled in personal and physical altercations among each other.
She first appeared in Deadwood shortly after the gold rush
, and was first mentioned in public writing in February, 1878, when she married Lew Spencer, an African American
comedian
who was performing at the time in the Bella Union Theater
. Although married, Johnson continued to work in her chosen profession, both as prostitute and madam. Spencer eventually left Deadwood and was later arrested in Denver, Colorado
for shooting his other wife. Evidently Spencer had been married to both a woman in Denver, and Johnson. There are no indications that Johnson and Spencer ever saw one another afterward.
Reportedly a widow
before her arrival in Deadwood, and in her early to mid-20's, Johnson was described as being a pretty woman, and a very good businesswoman. The competition for brothel owners in Deadwood was light, as there were very few girls to choose from, but plenty of men. Her main opposition during most of her time in Deadwood was Madam Dora DuFran
, but there is no indication that the two madams didn't get along.
The brothel houses were described in the papers as being a resort for naughty men. Mollie Johnson was also noted to be of a kind heart, caring for the dead body of one of her girls, before trying to save her possessions in the "Big Deadwood Fire" of September 26, 1879. She immediately opened another brothel, and suffered two more fires over the course of the years. She reportedly left Deadwood, as business dropped off, in January, 1883. As to where she went or what happened to her following her departure of Deadwood is unknown.
Brothel
Brothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...
. Johnson was born in Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, and migrated west due to the demand for working prostitutes. Indications are that she began working that trade in her early teens, around the age of 15 or 16 by some reports. However, definite information on her early life is unconfirmed.
She was known in Deadwood, South Dakota
Deadwood, South Dakota
Deadwood is a city in South Dakota, United States, and the county seat of Lawrence County. It is named for the dead trees found in its gulch. The population was 1,270 according to a 2010 census...
as the "Queen of the Blondes". Her nickname came from the fact that she had three blonde protégés who worked for her who also maintained their own boarding house
Boarding house
A boarding house, is a house in which lodgers rent one or more rooms for one or more nights, and sometimes for extended periods of weeks, months and years. The common parts of the house are maintained, and some services, such as laundry and cleaning, may be supplied. They normally provide "bed...
s. The twenty-ish foursome, Mollie Johnson and her girls Ida Clark, Ida Cheplan and Jennie Duchesneau, were often embroiled in personal and physical altercations among each other.
She first appeared in Deadwood shortly after the gold rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
, and was first mentioned in public writing in February, 1878, when she married Lew Spencer, an African American
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...
comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
who was performing at the time in the Bella Union Theater
Bella Union Saloon
The Bella Union was a saloon and theater in Deadwood, South Dakota, which opened on September 10, 1876. The proprietor was Tom Miller, an aggressive businessman who would buy several neighboring properties as well....
. Although married, Johnson continued to work in her chosen profession, both as prostitute and madam. Spencer eventually left Deadwood and was later arrested in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
for shooting his other wife. Evidently Spencer had been married to both a woman in Denver, and Johnson. There are no indications that Johnson and Spencer ever saw one another afterward.
Reportedly a widow
Widow
A widow is a woman whose spouse has died, while a widower is a man whose spouse has died. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood or occasionally viduity. The adjective form is widowed...
before her arrival in Deadwood, and in her early to mid-20's, Johnson was described as being a pretty woman, and a very good businesswoman. The competition for brothel owners in Deadwood was light, as there were very few girls to choose from, but plenty of men. Her main opposition during most of her time in Deadwood was Madam Dora DuFran
Dora DuFran
Madam Dora DuFran or Dora Bolshaw was one of the leading and most successful madams in the Old West days of Deadwood, South Dakota.- Biography :...
, but there is no indication that the two madams didn't get along.
The brothel houses were described in the papers as being a resort for naughty men. Mollie Johnson was also noted to be of a kind heart, caring for the dead body of one of her girls, before trying to save her possessions in the "Big Deadwood Fire" of September 26, 1879. She immediately opened another brothel, and suffered two more fires over the course of the years. She reportedly left Deadwood, as business dropped off, in January, 1883. As to where she went or what happened to her following her departure of Deadwood is unknown.
External links
- Deadwood newspaper accounts of Mollie Johnson's Brothel and her girls 1878 to 1883
- Mollie Johnson - Queen of the Blondes, The Painted Ladies of Deadwood Gulch, Legends of America.
- Madam Mollie Johnson, queen of the blondes, Deadwood Magazine.