My Life as a Whore - Tracy Beach

An extensively researched book about a well-known Colorado madam, but most of what's known about her is wrong, including the spelling of her last name. Follow the antics of Laura as she works in parlors in Denver, Leadville, and Salida, until she opens her own house. Laura's house stayed open longer than any other in Colorado, due largely to the unusual qualities of its owner. After years of trying to shut her down, the Salida town council finally passed the edict. Not long after, Salida began having numerous assaults on the streets. The council came back to her and suggested that she re-open, but she turned them down. Includes numerous historical photographs of Laura and her girls.