Seattle, Washington
Home for the archives of Seattle in the State of Washington, USA.
Seattle History
1880s-1910s
In an area where Pioneer Square is today was known as the Whitechapel, "Tenderloin District" (Seattle's Tenderloin), the "underworld", or redlight district. A 1902 article from The Seattle Republican compares the neighborhood to "Sodom and Gomorrah, Carthage and Rome"[1]. The neighborhood was home to many communities of color and other poor communities, and unfortunately was known for violent crime. Police would regularly conduct raids against dance halls (burlesques) and parlors. There were many attempts to shut down the district, but rarely ended up successful. An edict in February 1891 attempted to close all bordellos and gambling houses[2]. Several times the city considers moving the district to other areas at the request of business organizations. Again in August 1908, the city and police attempted to fully close the Tenderloin District[3]. In 1911, Mayor Gill was recalled over his leniency to the district[4].
Madame Lou Graham (1861-1903)
Madame Louise "Lou" Graham operated a bordello in Seattle under the cover of a seamstress parlor. She is believed to have had a romantic partnership with a woman and to have hired gay men or transgender women in her business.
Sources
- Library of Congress, "The Seattle Republican, July 25, 1902, Image 3"
- Library of Congress, "The Seattle post-intelligencer, February 15, 1891, Page 8, Image 8": "After Bad Women"
- Library of Congress, "The Seattle star, August 31, 1908, Last Edition, Page 8, Image 8"
- Library of Congress, "The Seattle star, March 15, 1915, Page 3, Image 3"
- Photo credit: Paul Dorpat and HistoryLink.org "Madame Lou Graham arrives in Seattle in February 1888."
