Good Time Girls of Colorado

True Stories of the Old West's Naughtiest Ladies

      Throughout the Gold Rush years and beyond, prostitution grew and flourished within the mining camps, small towns, and cities of nineteenth-century Colorado. 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 their profession. Some dreamed of escape through marriage or retirement, and some became infamous and even successful, but more often these women found relief only in death. An integral part of western history, their stories continue to fascinate readers and captivate the minds of historians today. 

       The Centennial State had its share of working girls and madams like Mattie Silks and Jennie Rogers, 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. 

Product Details:

Copyright 2019 by Jan MacKell Collins

Published by The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc. 

Paperback, 181 pages

Includes bibliographical references and index 

Dimension: 6" x 9"

About the Author:

Jan MacKell Collins has been a published author, speaker, and presenter since 2003. Her focus has always been on western history, with an emphasis on historical prostitution. Collins has published numerous articles on her subjects in True West, Montana Magazine, and All About History, and in numerous regional magazines. She currently resides in Oregon, where she continues researching the history of prostitution.