Ladies and their cribs, Dawson, Yukon, Canada, about 1900.
Courageous women from all walks of life joined the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897-1998, but, by far, the majority of these women were saloon girls and prostitutes. Like other mining camps of the Old West, vice played a big part in the gold rush days, as saloons, gambling halls, and prostitution were big revenue machines.
The many women who worked as prostitutes in the boomtowns of Skagway and Dyea, Alaska, and Dawson City in Canada came from all walks of life. Many followed the migration of thousands of gold seekers and their money, but others didn’t enter the profession willingly. Abduction into the sex industry was common, as women were forced to work as prostitutes against their will. Others arrived with husbands or family who either died or deserted them. With few options to support themselves, they had little choice but to make money as prostitutes.
Ella Wilson Grave by T. Urbanski, National Park Service.
In Skagway, Ella D. Wilson was an African American prostitute working in this dangerous profession. In May 1898, Ella transitioned from a citizen to a statistic when she was found dead. Cause of death: murder. She was discovered in her bed with a pillowcase over her head and a gag in her mouth. Her wrists and ankles were tied together, her money and jewelry were missing, and her trunk was rifled through. Everything pointed to a robbery gone wrong.
Rumor had it that Ella had $2,000 in her possession, which would amount to $60,936 in 2018. A well-known madam from Denver, Colorado, named Mattie Silks, who spent a little time in the area during the gold rush, accused the notorious Skagway con man Jeff “Soapy” Smith of being the one responsible for Ella’s death. In lawless Skagway, nothing came of this accusation. Just five weeks later, Soapy Smith died in a shootout. To this day, the murder of Ella D. Wilson remains unsolved.
Ella may be gone, but she is not forgotten. Her final resting place is the Gold Rush Cemetery, located at the north end of Skagway. Her grave is just a few dozen feet away from the grave of the man accused of murdering her, Soapy Smith.
Company L of the 24th Infantry.
Two more African American women were also prostitutes in Skagway – Ruth Brown and Rose Arnold. Like many other professional prostitutes, they saw the advantage of working in a boomtown.
In particular, these women saw their opportunity for success arise when Company L of the 24th Infantry became established in Skagway. The 24th Infantry was one of four all-black units in the United States Army. There was already one account of a white prostitute refusing service to a black soldier, and these women saw their opening. Ruth and Rose established their house of ill repute on the east end of Sixth Avenue, next door to Company L’s barracks. While the soldiers were stationed there, Ruth and Rose had steady business.
Main Street in Skagway, Alaska, about 1900.
However, when the soldiers left in 1902, Ruth Brown and Rose Arnold found themselves in a less lucrative business environment.
By 1905, the once Marshal, now Magistrate Tanner, ruled over the gamblers, prostitutes, and saloon owners in Skagway. Prostitution was still alive and well in the city, though it was heavily regulated through quarterly fines. Each quarter, women in the sex industry plead guilty and pay their fine of $25 plus court fees, roughly $700 in today’s money. This means each woman paid nearly $3,000 in fines yearly to stay in business. On January 25, 1905, Rose and Ruth had had enough. When they faced Magistrate Tanner, both women pleaded not guilty to “being an inmate of a house of ill repute.” No woman had tried this before, and it almost worked, to the surprise of Ruth and Rose. Rose Arnold was acquitted of being “an inmate of a house of ill fame.” Ruth Brown tied up the court for a few days, fighting the charge of “keeping a house of ill repute in connection with Rose Arnold.”
Ruth Brown Newspaper Clipping
Ultimately, the result was two more acquittals and two more arrests before Magistrate Tanner could secure the conviction he sought. Found guilty on January 29, Ruth Brown received the standard $25 fine plus court costs. The fines totaled $141, which in 2018 would be over $4,000. Skagway made its stance known that prostitutes would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law until found guilty. Stunts like Ruth Brown’s would not be tolerated. In early February, Ruth and Rose cut their losses, left Skagway for good, and headed to Juneau, Alaska. Afterward, they essentially disappeared from the public record.
Diamond Lil Davenport was one such woman who had a good time in Skagway. A Vaudeville star, she went to Alaska with the rest of the troupe and decided to stay, opening the nicest brothel in the boomtown. She was described as having perfect beauty and appeared to be a person of real refinement. Her time in Alaska was successful before she moved on to Seattle, Washington.
Compiled by Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated September 2025.
Also See:
Diamond Lil Davenport.
Diamond Lil Davenport – Madam of Skagway, Alaska
Leading Madams of the Old West
Painted Ladies of the Old West
Women of the Klondike Gold Rush
Sources: