Summary
As for what, exactly, was "there," historical documentation is vague at best--and rooting out the truth is a challenge as tempting to historians as their subjects were to lonely miners. At various points between Boise's birth in 1863 and the urban redevelopment craze a century later which led to the destruction of many former brothels, anywhere from a handful to over 100 "soiled doves" were believed to have held shop in and around the shady downtown lane known as [Davis Levy]'s Alley. Their clientele: a doubtless robust-smelling mixed bag of miners, ranchers and soldiers. Uncounted additional numbers of ladies of the night (though their shifts usually began at 4 p.m.) resided in the back rooms, upper floors and basements of "legitimate" businesses from the North End to Grove Street. But according to [Milan Kovach], most bordellos were identified on city maps of the time as "female boarding," making exact study difficult.
Both Kovach and [Nancy Richardson] are adamant that not too many secrets be circulated prior to the tour, as they relish in the looks of shock when the curtain is pulled away from the financial, cultural and moral history of their tour-goers' previously squeaky-clean hometown. Suffice it to say, not only will spectators learn the precise location of Levy's Alley (trust me, the irony is worth the wait), but those who stay sober through the bar-stops may learn a few great trivia morsels for use in future saloon exploits--like the difference between a "parlor house" and a "hog ranch," the meanings of once-infamous terms like "bagnio" and "crib," or even the long-forgotten story of the Turnverein and Harmonium Society." Along the way the history and former identities of China Blue, The Bouquet and The Rose Room will be bared, as will the contents of the bars themselves. It is only appropriate to imbibe, given the subject--after all, by 1968 Boise offered 20 saloons, two distilleries and five breweries to a population of barely 1,000. That, according to Richardson, is simply "a story that is too fun to leave untold."See the full content of this document
Extract
The Girls of Boise& Boise Bar and Brothel Tour
In today's Boise, rife with v-chips and nip-nixing nudity ordinances, the notion of local prostitution sounds far-fetched and almost mythical. Even from a historical perspective, it is something more suited to mountainous mining camps like Silver City or Wallace (which actually features a bordello museum), than a valley town and state capital l...
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