Dr. Jade Luiz, an archaeologist with a fascination for the hidden histories of sex work, has turned her attention to Central City, Colorado.
Her previous research focused on Boston’s underground brothels, where the city’s Puritan roots pushed sex work into obscurity.
Now, as an assistant professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver, Luiz is leading an excavation project aimed at uncovering the stories buried beneath Central City’s red-light district, a site where sex work was once a prominent aspect of life during the Wild West era.
Luiz’s project, which began in 2023, aims to shine a light on a community that had a much different relationship with sex workers compared to their East Coast counterparts.
“Evidence suggests that they weren’t shunned as people,” Luiz explained, highlighting the contrasting societal perceptions of sex work.
Since initiating the project, her team has unearthed over 12,000 artifacts, each revealing tidbits about life in this once-vibrant district.
The excavation site is located on property owned by the Central City Opera House, an area rich in history where mining and the search for gold initially fueled the town’s development.
Through a combination of historical research and physical excavation, Luiz and her students are piecing together the past, filling gaps that records and newspapers may have overlooked.
Old newspapers from the region have provided insights into the community’s acceptance of sex work, a sharp contrast to Luiz’s previous studies where prostitution was rarely mentioned.
“We found it on the map, we found it in the archives, and we found it in tons of local newspaper articles about this district,” she shared.
The findings include artifacts that reflect the social and cultural fabric of the era, such as a pair of embossed leather shoes indicating 19th-century fashion and a glass chandelier crystal that hints at the ambiance a successful madam might have cultivated for her clientele.
One of the more notable contrasts between artifacts studied in Colorado and those from the East Coast are the medicine bottles discovered at the site.
In Boston, such bottles typically contained ‘patent medicines,’ often seen as scams reflecting the underground culture in which sex workers operated without access to traditional healthcare.
In Central City, however, the bottles unearthed were regular pharmaceuticals, suggesting a different narrative.
“This tells us that they were able to go forth and visit the pharmacy, buy what they needed,” Luiz noted, emphasizing a more progressive attitude towards health care in the community.
Community engagement has played a significant role in the excavation process.
Central City has been cooperative, allowing students to participate in the digs, and embracing the town’s unique past.
The town has a long-standing tradition of celebrating its history of sex work, as evidenced by the annual Madam Lou Bunch Day festival, which honors the most famous brothel owner in Central City.
This event, established decades ago, features activities such as bed races through the town, celebrating a rich tapestry of local lore.
Undergraduate student Nate Benson expressed the enthusiasm from locals regarding their history.
“It is bringing it to the present and letting people know, ‘Hey, this is here. Don’t pave over that,’” he said, highlighting the community’s eagerness to preserve their shared history.
Fellow excavator, Juniper Finch, also noted the excitement of engaging with community members.
“It was so cool to talk to the locals that would pass by,” Finch said.
Many residents stopped by to learn more about the excavations, which offered a hands-on opportunity to connect with their town’s history.
Despite the wealth of artifacts and information discovered, Luiz acknowledges there are still significant gaps in the historical record of sex work, both in Colorado and across the nation.
To date, she has not found an account of a 19th-century sex worker’s experiences, which is often absent from the written historical record.
Most existing writings come from reform societies or literary figures, rather than from those who lived the lives being studied.
“There’s tons of writing about it, but it’s usually from reform societies, erotic authors, street guides, that sort of thing — and not from the people who are actually engaged in this work,” Luiz articulated.
She hopes that her archaeological work might one day yield personal items that shed light on the individual experiences of those in the profession.
She mentioned the potential to find an item with an engraving or a personal touch that could open up new avenues for exploration of the past.
Historical context is crucial; Luiz referenced prominent figures like Laura Evans, a Colorado madam who lived with her chihuahua and who provided an interview before her passing in 1950.
Another source is a scrapbook kept by Mattie Silks, a famous madam from Denver, who compiled articles and cartoons related to the red-light district of Lower Downtown Denver, although it lacks personal narratives to contextualize the material.
Luiz emphasizes that the study of sex work transcends historical curiosity; it serves as a lens through which broader themes of American history can be viewed.
For instance, the closure of Central City’s red-light district around 1912 intertwines with significant sociopolitical movements, including the temperance movement and early prohibition, while also reflecting the economic decline following the mining boom.
Additionally, these findings illuminate shifts in societal views on women, intimacy, and morality throughout American history.
“There have definitely been peaks and valleys in terms of how society perceives sex work and sex workers,” Luiz pointed out.
Narratives have fluctuated, with views swinging from seeing sex workers as victims to condemning them as immoral during different periods.
Understanding these historical dynamics can inform contemporary policies and societal attitudes towards sex work and sex workers today.
As Dr. Luiz delves deeper into this often-overlooked aspect of Colorado’s past, she strives to legitimize the stories of people who navigated complex social landscapes in the Wild West.
In her classes, she reinforces the importance of treating sex workers with respect during their studies, ensuring that discussions are grounded in dignity, not derogation.
“It’s in the syllabus; we don’t make jokes at the expense of sex workers,” Luiz emphasized.
In doing so, she fosters an environment that acknowledges the humanity of all individuals, irrespective of their circumstances, and promotes a more comprehensive understanding of their place in history.
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