Fur, silver, and gold first lured men to Idaho Territory. Women soon followed. Idaho Madams by Milana Marsenich Book Tour with Guest Post & Giveaway
WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING TOUR
of
Idaho Madams
By Milana Marsenich
Book Summary
Fur, silver, and gold first lured men to Idaho Territory.
Women soon followed. And what women they were! Molly B'Damn, Peg Leg Annie,
Spanish Belle, Lou Beevers, Diamond Tooth Lil—the names alone promised
excitement and intrigue.
In fact, these madams led complex, turbulent lives. Meet
Maggie Hall, a devout Catholic whose husband used her to pay off his gambling
debts. Working as a prostitute, Maggie made her way west and, as Molly B'Damn,
became the guardian angel of an Idaho mining camp. Or Annie McIntyre, a young
girl among the prospectors and ne'er do wells of Rocky Bar who amassed a small
fortune as the local madam only to lose it all—along with both her legs.
Idaho Madams uncovers the enigmatic and salacious lives of
30 women who ran brothels in the Gem State from the 1850s to the 1980s. Here
are the hedonistic and sometimes heroic exploits of Effie Rogan, Jennie Girard,
Nettie Bowen, Ginger Murphy, Dixie Colton, and Dot Allen, but also the unsung
sagas of Carrie Young, Grace Freeman, Willow Herman, Hattie Carlton, and many
more. As told by author Milana Marsenich, the stories of these women come alive
with voluptuous detail, historical photographs, and the social context of the
times.
Publisher: Farcountry Press (March 3, 2023)
Print length: 160
pages
Purchase a copy
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Idaho-Madams-Milana-Marsenich/dp/156037750X/
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/idaho-madams-milana-marsenich/1143327234?ean=9781560377504
Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/idaho-madams-milana-marsenich/19983213?ean=9781560377504
You can also add this to your GoodReads reading list
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123005670-idaho-madams
Guest Post:
Idaho Madams, from the Introduction
By Milana Marsenich
Idaho has a long history of strong, independent thinkers who embody the gritty and vital spirit of the West. During the gold and silver rushes of the 1800s, adventurous, hardworking men flocked to Idaho Territory, many with the grand dream of “striking it rich.” Miners, railroad workers, loggers, and merchants made their money and were only too eager to spend it on alcohol, gambling, and pleasure. The women of vice who followed them West were happy to oblige.
These madams and prostitutes also wanted to get rich—or at least make a livable wage and gather a small nest egg. The West was large and pocked with logging, mining, and railroad boomtowns that popped up overnight and died out just as quickly once the trees or ore ran out or the rails extended down the line. Many prostitutes were bold, nervy women who made choices, sought adventure, exhibited business savvy, demanded respect, craved stability, and gained independence in a man’s world. Some took care of their families through the trade, sending their siblings to school or paying medical bills. They either chose the frontier sex trade deliberately or came to it through a twist of fate.
Molly
B’Damn: the Quintessential Madam with a Heart of Gold
By Milana
Marsenich
Molly
B’Damn is one of Idaho’s well-known Madams and a local folk hero. In 1884 Molly
crossed Thompson Pass to Murray, Idaho with a pack train in a blizzard. Part
way across the pass Molly risked her life to help a woman and child struggling
to keep up. She stopped and put the woman and child on her horse with her. They
were not dressed for a blizzard and Molly became concerned for their safety. She
found a ramshackle shelter and held up with the woman and child there, telling
the pack train go on without them. They would catch up in the morning. The rest
of the pack train left, never expecting to see them again. Covered in Molly’s
furs and warmest clothing, they huddled together for warmth, until the blizzard
passed.
In the morning,
they rode into Murray, Idaho together. Molly ordered food and shelter for the
woman and child, and paid the bill, earning instant admiration. She had likely
saved their lives. She turned down an offer for a room at the hotel and
announced, instead, that she’d be taking up residence in Cabin Number One, the
cabin reserved for the Madams of mining, logging, and railroad towns. Phil
O’Rourke asked her name, and she replied “Molly Burdan”, the name she had taken
on when she married. Her marriage failed but she kept the name. Molly had a
strong Irish brogue and O’Rourke thought she said “Molly B’Damn”. The name
stuck.
Molly was
born Maggie Hall in Dublin, Ireland December 26, 1853. Having a restless
spirit, she left home at the age of 20 and took a boat to America. Things were
rough in America and things had not gone the way she planned. By 1884 she’d
been traveling the western states as a high-end prostitute for several years.
When she arrived in Murray, the people welcomed her with open arms. She had
finally found a home.
She took
care of the sick, returned stolen goods, fed the poor, and contributed to
charitable causes. She took good care of the women who worked for her and
treated them fairly. Her biggest and last great deed took place in 1886 when a
stranger rode his horse into town, drank a glass of whiskey at the local bar,
and fell over dead of smallpox, exposing the town.
Soon
others were dying. While most people stayed inside trying to avoid the scourge,
Molly set out to tend to the sick. Along with O’Rourke, she cleared out the
local hotel to use as a makeshift hospital. She worked tirelessly, without
adequate sleep or nutrition, caring for the sick. Many people died, but her
efforts undoubtedly saved many others. Worn out and tired from the hard work,
she contracted TB, couldn’t shake it, and died from it. She was 30 years old.
About the Author
Award winning author, Milana Marsenich lives in Northwest
Montana near Flathead Lake at the base of the beautiful Mission Mountains. She
enjoys quick access to the mountains and has spent many hours hiking the
wilderness trails with friends and dogs. For the past 20 years she has worked
as a mental health therapist in a variety of settings. As a natural listener
and a therapist, she has witnessed amazing generosity and courage in others.
She first witnessed this in her hometown of Butte, Montana, a mining town with
a rich history and the setting for Copper Sky, her first novel.
Copper Sky was chosen as a Spur Award finalist for Best
Western Historical Novel in 2018. Her second novel, The Swan Keeper, was a
Willa Award finalist in 2019. Her short story, Wild Dogs, won the Laura Award
for short fiction in 2020.
She has an M.Ed. in Mental Health Counseling from Montana
State University and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Montana.
She has previously published in Montana Quarterly, Big Sky Journal, The
Polishing Stone, The Moronic Ox, BookGlow, and Feminist Studies. She has four
published novels, Copper Sky, The Swan Keeper, Beautiful Ghost, and Shed Girl,
and one popular history book, Idaho Madams. Her popular history book, Mary
MacLane: Butte’s Wild Woman and her Wooden Heart, will be out sometime in 2025.
You can follow the author at:
Website: https://milanamarsenich.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MilanaMarsenichAuthor
X/Twiiter: https://x.com/milanamarsenich
Giveaway
Enter to win a copy of her book.
https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/2024/11/idaho-madams-by-milana-marsenich-blog.html
#IdahoMadams #USHistoricalFiction #goldrush #booktour #giveaway #MilanaMarsenich #WOW
@WomenonWriting @milanamarsenich @wow_womenonwriting.
November 18th @ The Muffin
Join us as we celebrate the launch of Milana Marsenich's Idaho Madams Read an interview with the author and enter to win a copy of her book.
https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com
Learn about Researching History from writer Milana Marsenich.
https://www.astorybookworld.com/
Angela is celebrating Non-Fiction November with a review of Idaho Madams by Milana Marsenich.
https://musingsofaliterarywanderer.blogspot.com/
Author Milana Marsenich transports us to the Wild West with the story of Mary MacLane, Butte’s Wild Woman. Also, enjoy an excerpt from her latest book, Idaho Madams.
https://awonderfulworldofwordsa.blogspot.com/
Author Milana Marsenich visits with a guest post about The Town as Character.
https://www.madelinesharples.com/
Read a review of Milana Marsenich's nonfiction book, Idaho Madams.
https://readingismyremedy.wordpress.com/
Lily is reviewing Idaho Madams, a nonfiction history of the shady side of the Wild West.
https://www.thefaeriereview.com
Today's guest post by Milana Marsenich features Auditor, the Mining Dog.
https://candidcanine.blogspot.com
Nikki is reviewing Idaho Madams and hosting author Milana Marsenich with a guest post about Keeping the Perspective within the Heart and Mind of the Character.
www.nikkitsbookreviews wordpress.com
Read about the Brothel Freeze Framed in 1991 when author Milana Marsenich, author of Idaho Madams, visits today.
https://www.traceylampley.com
Don't miss the review is of the non-fiction history Idaho Madams by Milana Marsenich.
https://guatemalapaula.blogspot.com
Author Milana Marsenich tells the tale of the 1912 Speculator Mine Disaster
https://chapterbreak.net
Today's guest post by Milana Marsenich is about The Character of Wallace, Idaho.
https://readingismyremedy.wordpress.com/
Wrtier Milana Marsenich address the ghostly aspects of a town or event in today's guest post.
https://www.kaeceymccormick.com/blog
Get a peek at an excerpt of Milana Marsenich's book Idaho Madams. She's also posting about Dogs and other Animals in Story Development.
https://www.storeybookreviews.com
Head to the Wild West for a review of Idaho Madams.
https://www.jodiwebbwriter.com/blog
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