Chicago is known for many things: the second busiest airport, the locale of such events as the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, as well as the home of many great buildings, companies, politicians and crooks. Let’s not forget something else Chicago is known for: The Everleigh Club, the most famous brothel in American history.
In Sin in the Second City, Karen Abbot tells us the story of the Everleigh sisters, Minna and Ada, who opened and operated the Everleigh Club at the start of the 20th century and attempted to elevate the industry through their own practices. Everleigh girls at the brothel, or “butterflies” as the madams like to call them, were ensured to dine on gourmet food, to be examined properly by an honest doctor, and tutored in literature. Never did the sisters go out to find girls to work for them; they didn’t need to when they had a waiting list of girls that wanted to come work for them. They were well fed and well treated unlike many other brothels that beat, raped, and drugged their girls. Many brothels bought girls or tricked girls into that lifestyle, but never the Everleigh Club. The sisters “ran the most successful—and respected—whorehouse in America” and they knew it. Other people were beginning to notice the sister madams’ success as well. Vice Lords, politicians, Progressive Era reformers, and jealous neighboring brothels.
Practically almost all of Chicago knew what the Everleigh Club was and who ran it…or so they assumed. The Everleigh sisters’ past is something of their own invention – sisters who married two brothers and ran from their cruelty. Cleverly keeping their lives private from preying eyes, revealing only what they wanted to be revealed. And what was revealed was that their past and their practices brought in more business and money than their jealous competitors. Other brothels did their best to divert business from them, one paid a taxi to drop of drunken men off at their brothel even if they’d asked to be taken to the Everleigh, but the Everleigh was still the neighborhood favorite and the most successful. They stood strong and kept sharp, always able to endure and defend against any attack.
The sisters’ stance on their pedestal began to wobble as reformers began to appeal more and more to the public with cries of “White Slavery”, even though they never bought or tricked any girls to work for them and violence, stealing, and cheating were forbidden in their lavishly decorated house. Their help from crooked politicians and ambitious criminals had begun to run out, especially with the passing of the Mann Act in 1910, a law prohibiting the transfer of women across statelines for 'immoral acts', mainly prostitution. They now feared the end of a life without their brothel; a life they'd spent much time creating. What would they do now?
I thought this was a really interesting read. Very well written. Abbott’s attention to detail made this piece of history come alive. At its’ core is the Everleigh sisters, the interesting women who gracefully stepped out to improve life and outsmart not just Chicago, but the world. Surrounding the sisters were a cast of interesting characters (i.e Jack Johnson, John D. Rockefeller, Jr.), key events in our nation’s history (i.e. the formation of the FBI, the invention of the automobile), the a few firsts (the fad of drinking out of a heeled shoe), and the origin of the term “getting laid”. A truly exposing look at the sex industry and America’s history, Sin in the Second City is sure to please. I hope you enjoy reading!
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