Millie broke the mold in so many ways, and yet her life's story of survival was not unlike that of thousands of women who went West only to find that their most valuable assets were their physical beauty and their personality. Petite at five feet tall with piercing blue eyes, Millie captured men's attention by her very essence and her unmistakable joie de vivre.".
Mildred Clark Cusey was a whore, a madam, an entrepreneur, and above all, a survivor. The story of Silver City Millie, as she referred to herself, is the story of one woman's personal tragedies and triumphs as an orphan, a Harvey Girl waitress on the Santa Fe railroad, a prostitute with innumerable paramours, and a highly successful bordello businesswoman. Millie broke the mold in so many ways, and yet her life's story of survival was not unlike that of thousands of women who went West only to find that their most valuable assets were their physical beauty and their personality. Petite at five feet tall with piercing blue eyes, Millie captured men's attention by her very essence and her unmistakable joie de vivre. Born to Italian immigrant parents near Kansas City, she and her sister were orphaned early and separated from each other. Millie learned hard lessons on the streets, but she never gave up and she vowed to protect and support her ailing older sister. Caught in a domestic squabble in her foster home, Millie wound up in juvenile court with Harry Truman as her judge. This would be only the first of many brushes in her life with prominent politicians. When physicians diagnosed her sister with tuberculosis and recommended she move West to a Catholic home in Deming, New Mexico, Millie moved with her. Expenses ran high and after a brief stint waiting tables as a Harvey Girl, Millie found that her meager tips could easily be augmented by turning tricks. Thus, out of financial need and devotion to her sister, Mildred Cusey turned to a life of prostitution and a career at which she soon excelled and became both rich and famous.
As settlements and civilization moved West to follow the lure of mineral wealth and the trade of the Santa Fe Trail, prostitution grew and flourished within the mining camps, small towns, and cities of the nineteenth-century Southwest. Whether escaping a bad home life, lured by false advertising, or seeking to subsidize their income, thousands of women chose or were forced to enter an industry where they faced segregation and persecution, fines and jailing, and battled the other hazards of their profession. Some dreamed of escape through marriage or retirement, and some became infamous and even successful, but more often found relief only in death. An integral part of western history, the stories of these women continue to fascinate readers and captivate the minds of historians today. Arizona and New Mexico each had their share of working girls and madams like Sara Bowman and Dona Tules who remain notorious celebrities in the annals of history, but Collins also includes the stories of lesser-known women whose roles in this illicit trade help shape our understanding of the American West.
Throughout the development of the American West, prostitution grew and flourished within the mining camps, small towns, and cities of the nineteenth-century Rocky Mountains. Whether escaping a bad home life, lured by false advertising, or seeking to subsidize their income, thousands of women chose or were forced to enter an industry where they faced segregation and persecution, fines and jailing, and battled the hazards of disease, drug addiction, physical abuse, pregnancy, and abortion. They dreamed of escape through marriage or retirement, but more often found relief only in death. An integral part of western history, the stories of these women continue to fascinate readers and captivate the minds of historians today. Expanding on the research she did for Brothels, Bordellos, and Bad Girls (UNM Press), historian Jan MacKell moves beyond the mining towns of Colorado to explore the history of prostitution in the Rocky Mountain states of Arizona, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. Each state had its share of working girls and madams like Big Nose Kate or Calamity Jane who remain celebrities in the annals of history, but MacKell also includes the stories of lesser-known women whose role in this illicit trade nonetheless shaped our understanding of the American West.
These profiles of the soiled doves who plied the oldest trade in the Rocky Mountains explain many of the facts of life in the nineteenth and twentieth century West.
A funny Regency-era mystery about a determined young woman with a magical trick up her sleeve. "A deliciously enchanting adventure full of magic, mystery and delight."--Stephanie Burgis, author of "Kat, Incorrigible."
Life is never dull in William Biersach's mythical city of Los Angeles. In The Search for Saint Valeria, the third entry in the series, cop-turned-priest Fr. John Baptist and his faithful sidekick, gardener and chronicler, Martin Feeney, are once again on the trail of the unusual and strange. Why is someone stealing discarded religious objects - relics, altars, chalices - from the city's antique shops? And why on earth would modern-day grave robbers want to steal the remains of a 4th century Saint from New Golgotha Cemetery? In this fast-paced story, replete with a cast of memorable characters, a healthy dose of red herrings, and a generous helping of humour, there is always more than meets the eye, whether in means, motives, or methods. What with the hallowed history of the mystery genre, some readers might be tempted to suppose that it has all been done. In his Father Baptist series, William Biersach disproves this notion with a vengeance. These stories are fresh, intricate, vibrant, and a heck of a lot of fun! The Search for Saint Valeria is indeed a noble addition to the canon.
Have you ever placed that bet or took the chance at cards for that big pot? Do you wonder what it is like to have money and some fame? Do you want people to do what you say without question? Well, it can happen, but the downside is the fact that there is a cost and others' lives will be decided on your whims. Are you ready for that? You know you will never worry about being alone because money buys love too. Easy come, easy go! In the end, it will never end. There is too much give-and-take. Just don't be the one being taken from; giving is hard to do when you waited so long for it!
Valuing food quality as much as quality service, Harvey Houses changed the culture of western railroad towns. After Fred Harvey's death in 1901, sons Ford and Byron expanded the family business along the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe rail lines. El Tovar opened in 1905 on the south rim of the Grand Canyon, signaling the arrival of the iconic brand to Arizona. New railroad depots and Harvey establishments reminiscent of the Spanish Colonial-Indian pueblo style of architecture followed. Well-paid European chefs trained every kitchen, and waitresses hailed from every walk of life. Author Rosa Walston Latimer celebrates hospitality the "Fred Harvey way" through the personal stories of the famous Harvey Girls and staff of luxury Harvey hotels in Ash Fork, Seligman, Williams, Winslow and beyond.
A rollicking ride through the true crime history of the American Southwest from the USA Today–bestselling author of The Darkest Night. The line between history and mythology is razor thin—and the American Southwest often erases the line altogether. We might never disentangle crime-fact from fiction, but this book will transport you to Billy the Kid’s real-life stomping grounds, legendary Tombstone, the childhood home of one of the worst al Qaeda terrorists, and the scenes of dozens of crimes throughout Arizona and New Mexico’s history. Dozens of fascinating stories in Outlaw Southwest are told in the same fast-paced, enthralling voice that’s made Ron Franscell one of America’s most beloved crime writers…and the Crime Buff’s Guides a three-time winner of the TrueCrimeZine.com Book of the Year! Includes GPS COORDINATES, PHOTOS AND MORE! “Well researched … Armchair detectives will enjoy the tales, but the book’s purpose is to take the reader to the scene of the crime.”—Albuquerque Journal “The ultimate guilty pleasure book.”—San Antonio (TX)Express-News “Perfect for summer vacations because you can put it down and pick it up without losing your place (but you won’t want to put it down). For those of who week true-crime stories, it’s a fascinating look at the dark side.”—Tucson (AZ) Sentinel