STEAMBOATS AND MADAMS, OH MY!

                            STEAMBOATS AND MADAMS, OH MY!

                                                NORMAN V. KELLY

Gambling and prostitution have been a part of Peoria’s history since at least 1845, and I know that does not surprise you.  Let’s use our imagination a little and slip back to the 1870’s, here in Peoria, Illinois. The Civil War was over, and believe me the war years were money makers for a lot of folks in our town. Our distilleries and breweries were actively creating jobs and an atmosphere for a bawdy, river town, which is exactly what we were about to become.  Steamboats, packets boats, stern-wheelers, side-wheelers and luxurious excursion boats made Peoria a very popular destination. Many of those steamboats were like floating hotels, and I can tell you they were popular with tourists, and of course Peoria was a major tourist town.

Let’s step off one of those boats and walk up Main Street. The first cross street is Water Street and I can tell you that many visitors, especially the men, never made it past Water Street. Which way do you want to walk…left or right?  It would have made little difference because all along the street were gas lighted torch lights, guiding customers to the many saloons, taverns, hotels and bordellos.

Now these bordellos were elegant in their presentation, white pillared with lovely ladies waving at the passing gents. Inside, many of them served booze and guests could gamble as well. Fortunately for the customers, their two-way tickets on the steamboat were already paid for in advance.  Believe me, for many unfortunate gents, that was all they had left when the steamboat captain sounded his all aboard whistle. Of course, there were spots in Peoria where the brothels and dives were truly despicable and most certainly dangerous as well.

I thought that I would tell you about two of the elegant business ladies that ran several of these ‘decadent’ spots in our town way back then. Biddy McNally was a madam that ran a bordello on Water Street, a no nonsense business woman that was very well connected with the local politicians, especially Mayor Gale.

Seems some local firemen, testing their new water pump, began to hit her windows with a rather powerful stream.  She became enraged and stormed out after them. She jumped into a buggy and minutes later she had Mayor Gale back with her.  Before things quieted down, the mayor had several of the men arrested.  Biddy McNally had clout, I’d say. She claimed she had the most beautiful ladies in town.

Adelaide Johnson Cole came to town a respected, married woman. Her husband expected her to stay home and to be seen when he called for her. ‘Addy’ had other plans.  She soon divorced and became the madam for a most elegant brothel that was the talk of the town.  She began buying up property and within a few years was a very wealthy lady.

She moved her main business to a very large house on the corner of Washington and Adams, which included a large stable of horses. Each day she would have her carriage brought around and off she would go with three of her pretty employees to cavort about the city. One of her favorite tricks was to stop every block or so and allow her passengers to step down.  Now this was during 1870’s and “The glimpse of stocking was looked upon as something shocking.”  Addy was just using the new concept of advertising her product…plain and simple.  The local newspapers referred to her as ‘The notorious lady of nightlife.’

Addy liked to pay her court fines with a one thousand dollar bill, which she kept either within her ample bosom or tucked away in a garter belt.  When she was ready to pay her fine, she contacted every newspaper in town.  The eager reporters would gather over at the clerk’s office and report every one of Addy’s moves to their eager readers.  Shocking…wasn’t it?  As our city grew so did our businesses of every kind, including our gambling and bordello businesses.  It was just a natural growth and one which led to Peoria’s reputation as a wide open, bawdy town.  That’s what we were and it was not until 1946 that the word ‘gangster’ was connected with this great town. But…that is a story for another day.

Don’t miss Norm’s historical stories each month in News and Views   Norm welcomes your comments and questions about old Peoria.                               norman.kelly@sbcglobal.net