Red-Light Districts in Montana 1890-1920

Crystal Alegria, director of The Extreme History Project, will discuss the social complexity of Montana's red-light districts and the women who navigated them and prospered. From 1890 to 1920, many Montana towns had thriving red-light districts. These illegal but tolerated districts were complex landscapes of prostitution, business and community. As this era ended and reform movements peaked, the red-light districts and the woman who operated them were moved out and closed-up.

Participants will learn about our nation's progressive era (1890 to 1920) reform movements and the social and economic drivers that caused prostitution to thrive in the early portion of the progressive era and then fail at the end. Alegria will discuss the factors that led women to prostitution, the hierarchical system of the red-light districts and the common juxtaposition of the Chinese community to red-light districts. Participants will come away from the presentation with a deeper understanding of Montana's landscapes of vice and why these restricted districts no longer exist along our downtown streets.
**Registration for this event closes one hour prior to the event start time Unless otherwise noted.