The Stockade: SLC's Officially Sanctioned Red-Light District, 1908-1911

North entrance to the Stockade on 100 South of Block 64, 1911.
Dora Topham (Belle London) kept her office in the one story
building just left of the two individuals.
Photograph taken from 564 West 100 South. From UDSH.

In 1908, most of SLC’s Block 64 in the emerging GreekTown (see previous post) became SLC’s new red-light district known as The Stockade.

Prostitution was not new to SLC and an unofficially controlled form of prostitution (where sex workers were arrested, paid a monthly fine, and were set free to do it all again) was practiced in SLC since 1870.

What made the Stockade different was that it was officially sanctioned, developed, and protected by the Mayor, City Council, and Chief of Police; and it was run by a single Madame. That woman was Dora Topham, more popularly known as Belle London.

SLC Chief of Police, Thomas Pitt, first suggested formally regulating prostitution in his annual report of 1907. While the newspapers and anti-vice groups initially dismissed the idea, mayor John S. Bransford and the City Council (most were members of the American political party) quietly started implementing the plan.

Bransford said, at least publicly, that moving the red-light district from Commercial Street (now Regent Street) where it had existed since the 1870s would allow the downtown business district to thrive in more respectable endeavors. Privately, Bransford and some City Council members had plans in the works to profit from the move.

Block 64 (100-200 S / 500-600 W) was chosen for the Stockade as it was near the railroad tracks, away from schools, and had existing utilities and infrastructure within the inner block: namely Boyd Court and Carter Terrace.

In addition, the neighborhood was transforming into GreekTown and “most of the better class of residents were leaving” as more Greeks, Italians, and Japanese were moving in. Thus, according to SLC’s leadership the new immigrants had already destroyed the respectable nature of the neighborhood and establishing the red-light district would not harm it further.

Constructing the cribs in 1908.On 200 South looking into the interior of the block, from UDSH

Constructing the cribs in 1908.On 200 South looking into the interior of the block, from UDSH

In May 1908, parts of Block 64 were purchased or leased by The Citizens Investment Co, which was a newly created company almost entirely operated by Dora Topham (aka Belle London) who served as the President, Treasurer, and General Manager.

Topham was described as “an extremely clever woman” and brought in from Ogden where she was well known for being a Madame. More about her later.

The Citizens Investment Co began construction in the summer of 1908. A 10-foot wall surrounding the Stockade was built with entrances at the north and south sides of the block. Existing houses were converted into brothels and rows of new cribs were built. New buildings for saloons and stores were built primarily along 200 South, including the soon to be demolished Citizen Investment Co building at 540 W 200 South.

The existing residents of Block 64 opposed the new Stockade and they organized as the West Side Citizens League and made formal complaints to the City Council. They filed a lawsuit to stop the opening of the Stockade and won with an injunction being issued, which was then completely ignored by the City.

In Dec 1908 the Stockade formally opened and pressure was placed on the Commercial Street Madams to move locations. A few of the Madams moved to the Stockade, a few closed shop and left town, and a few persisted and remained open on Commercial Street through the Stockade years.

Those opposing the Stockade eventually won a legal battle that stuck and Topham was sentenced to 18 years of hard labor for inducing a woman into prostitution (later reversed by the Utah Supreme Court). In response Topham abruptly closed the Stockade in Sept 1911 and sold her property, eventually moving to California.

The occupants of the Stockade either returned to Commercial Street or remained on the west side of 200 South. Commercial Street remained a red-light district until the late 1930s and 200 South remained one until the late 1970s.

Map of the Stockade from Jeffrey Nichols book Prostitution Polygamy and Power.
Color highlights added for clarity. 

Overlay of the Stockade from 1911 Sanborn onto modern Google Map 2020.
 Green show modern landmarks; Yellow show Stockade features.

Sources: Prostitution, Polygamy, and Power: Salt Lake City 1847-1918 by Jeffrey Nichols; Red Lights in Zion: SLC Stockade 1908-11 by John S McCormick in UHQ V50, 1982, N2.

The Development of Block 64 into SLC's GreekTown

Block 64 (100-200 South and 500-600 West) is situated north of the TRAX Old GreekTown station. This post explores how Block 64 and the surrounding area transformed into Salt Lake's GreekTown.

When SLC was first platted in 1847 the 10-acre blocks were laid out in a grid pattern with Block 1 situated at SE corner of the city, at what is now 800-900 South and 200-300 East. Block 64 is located at what was then the western edge of the City.

Lots were divided among those early Mormons with the widow Nancy Baldwin’s family getting 2 lots on Block 64, the entire southwest quadrant of the block. When George W. Boyd married into the Baldwin family (he married 3 of Nancy’s daughters) those lots and others that he eventually purchased became known as the Boyd property.

For several decades Block 64 remained as much of the rest of SLC– sparsely spaced adobe homes with each house having room for gardens, orchards, and farm animals.

Street in Great Salt Lake City, about 1850s. From LOC.

The first railroad tracks were constructed to SLC in 1870 and in the next couple decades the railroad greatly expanded its operations and was a major employer on the west side of SLC. Even George Boyd, as an old man, worked for the railroad.

Bird's eye view of Salt Lake City, Utah Territory 1870. From LOC.

After more than 40 years of owning property on Block 64, George started selling his property to his children (and others) in the 1890s. William B. Boyd built tenements behind the adobe homes and named the area Boyd Court, which was later called Boyd Ave when the area became known as the Stockade.

Other property owners on Block 64 and surrounding areas were also building rental units and commercial spaces in the 1890s; notably A. R. Carter who built the large Carter Terrace on the north central side of Block 64 that was later converted to brothels (more on that later).

The 1890s also brought city utilities such as electricity, water lines, and sewer line to Block 64; paved streets came in 1902.

In the 1890s the property owners were still largely Mormon with about half of the buildings on Block 64 being older adobe homes. But some new elements, such as the Westminster Presbyterian Church, had started moving in and the neighborhood had begun its transformation.

Salt Lake City, Utah 1891. From LOC.

In 1900, there were only 3 Greek people recorded living in Utah. By 1910 there were 4,062 and they eventually became the largest labor force in the State. Poor conditions back in Greece encouraged immigration to America in the early 1900s.

Between 1900-1905 Block 64, and other surrounding areas, developed rapidly into a Greek enclave mostly due to Greek labor agents such as Leonidas Skliris and Nicholas Stathakos who brought in their countrymen to work the nearby mines and railroad.

In 1905 the Greek community had built its first church in SLC- the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church located at 439 W 400 South (now demolished), the precursor to today’s Holy Trinity Cathedral built in 1923 (279 S 300 West).

 

 The first Greek Orthodox Church located at 439 W 400 South (now demolished) in 1908. From UDSH.

Most of the Greek immigrants were male who sent money back their families in Greece. Only a few Greek Salt Lakers were able to send for their wife and children to join them in SLC. A fair number of Greeks were able to pay for the travel of brides picked by their family back home.

Greek wedding of Magna residents Angelo Heleotes
at SLC’s first Greek Orthodox Church, 1915. From UDSH.

 
By 1908 the west side of 200 South had become known as GreekTown and, not coincidentally, SLC leadership decided to move the Red-Light District to Block 64 to try and break up the enclave of “undesirable” Greeks congregating in that area (among other reasons). More on that later.

The 1910s and 1920s were the peak of SLC’s GreekTown. Much like the rest of SLC’s downtown and other ethnic neighborhoods of SLC, the 1950s and 1960 saw decline through the elimination of public transportation and the emphasis on building up the suburbs.

Open Heart Coffeehouse in SLC GreekTown at 548 W 200 South; Proprietor Michael J Katsanevas is standing, ca 1920. From UDSH.

A note on this image:
This photo shows the Citizens Investment Co Building when it was used as
a Greek coffeehouse (later the Café Orbit/Metro Bar) and soon to be demolished.
Thanks to a great-granddaughter of Katsanevas for updated and correct info! 

Sources:
-  For more about the first platting of SLC: Cartography and the Founding of Salt Lake City by Rick Grunder and Paul E. Cohen. UHQ V87 N3, 2019.
- For more about Greeks in Utah: Toil and Rage in a New Land: The Greek Immigrants in Utah by Helen Papanikolas, UHQ V38 N2, 1970.

Updates on Some Historic Demolition Projects

A few updates on some of Salt Lake City's historic demolition projects:

1. Demolition has recently begun at the historic English Lutheran Church that was formerly Ichiban Sushi (336 S 400 East). Given the care taken thus far it may indicate some architectural salvage is occurring. The Victorian house previously used as an office building located just to the north has not yet been impacted.

2. Selective demolition around the historic Utah Pickle Factory and Bissinger Hide buildings (737-741 S 400 West) has recently been completed. The Friendship Inns Supply building and some of the additions around the Hide building were demolished.

3. The new Sola37 Apartments that replaced the historic Morrison Brothers Duplex (435 S 400 East) is nearing completion.

I’m sure there are updates to other projects so if you know of any leave a comment. (There are just too many for me to keep up with)

Demolition of the Last Remaining Building from “the Stockade”

Citizen Investment Co building at
540 W 200 South SLC, June 2021.

This building at 540 W 200 South will be demolished as part of the Cinq Apartments, the same construction project that plans to preserve most of the nearby Central Warehouse building (see previous post).

This unassuming building has a sordid history and is the last remaining building from “the Stockade,” Salt Lake’s officially sanctioned red-light district built and managed in 1908 by Dora Topham, aka the Madame Belle London. 

The building is named the Citizens Investment Co building because that was the legal entity that was established by Dora Topham to purchase the land, build the stockade, and manage other matters.

There are a lot of stories associated with this building and plot of land.  Before this building was constructed in 1908 it was the location of George W. Boyd’s adobe house- he built Boyd’s Pony Express Station in Utah’s West Desert, which remains today as one of the best-preserved Pony Express Sites.  George was a Mormon polygamist with 3 wives and 15 children. 

Exploring how Boyd’s property and the surrounding blocks morphed from small Mormon Pioneer adobe houses into GreekTown should be interesting.

This also seems to be a good time to explore the life of Dora Topham; she made quite the impact in Ogden but was only in SLC a few years.  Plus, she is the namesake for London Belle Supper Club.

And then there is the red-light district itself. What did it look like (and smell like?) and what was it like for the women who lived and worked there.  What did GreekTown think of their new neighbors? 

What other things interest you about this property and the stories around it? Maybe I will find out for you during my deep dive and share more interesting stories about SLC’s past.

There will likely be a few interesting posts to come out of this topic so stick around.

In the meantime, swipe to read the historical marker attached the building. I always stop and read the plaque!

Blue Eagle Poster in SLC's Warehouse District 1933

I spied these NRA posters in a 1933 photo of the Central Warehouse (see previous post).

These posters are not the National Rifle Association; they are of the short-lived federal agency the National Recovery Administration, which was a New Deal program during the Great Depression.

The NRA only lasted between 1933-1935 but had a profound impact. Some of the goals were to protect workers and ensure fair wages were paid.

Companies that signed the agreement received the “Blue Eagle” emblem to display. Some of the requirements were:

1. Hours of workers capped at 40 hours per week.
2. Wages raised to set standards.
3. Don’t employ child labor.
4. Don’t profiteer.
5. Deal only with others who earn the Blue Eagle

The emblem shows a Blue Eagle clutching a gear and lightning bolts symbolizing the power of American industry.

SLC and Utah companies eagerly signed up for the program as a show of patriotism. Not everyone followed the rules but even the appearance of a violation was problematic.

In Nov 1934 the NRA alleged that Myers Cleaning and Dyeing company of SLC violated some of the provisions and required the company to surrender its Blue Eagle. The very next day a large advertisement in several newspapers printed the signed statement from 40 Meyers employees stating that the company was in fact complying with all codes and it was an issue with one of their nightwatchmen. Meyers Cleaning stated they would be exonerated in a fair and just hearing.

The revoking of Meyers Cleaning’s Blue Eagle had implications beyond SLC. In Price, M. F. Meyers who owned the Acme Cleaners and Tailors of Price, needed to clarify that he was not connected with the Meyers Cleaning company of SLC and that his establishment strictly adheres to all provisions of the Blue Eagle code.

Read more about the NRA, the Blue Eagle, and its effect on Utah’s Labor Unions in the Utah Historical Quarterly 1986 article “The Economics of Ambivalence: Utah’s Depression Experience” by Wayne K. Hinton. The UDSH has made these freely available on issuu.com.

A Sports Note: The NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles were named after this Blue Eagle symbol in 1933.

Sources: UHQ 1986 The Economics of Ambivalence; SL Trib 1933-08-23; Bikuben 1933-Aug-30; SL Trib 1934-11-14; SL Trib 1934-11-15; Sun Advocate 1934-11-15. Images of Central Warehouse are from @utahhistory_collections. News clipping is from Bikuben 1933-Aug-30.

 Central Warehouse 520 W 200 S SLC.
Note Blue Eagles in the windows. From UDSH.

Detail of left (west) window of Central Warehouse.

Detail of right (east) window of Central Warehouse.

News clipping is from Bikuben 1933-Aug-30
(Bikuben was a Scandinavian newspaper in SLC)

Sighting of a Railroad Switch at Central Warehouse

Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company in 1911, later known as Central Warehouse.
Located at 160 S 500 West SLC. Image from UDSH.

This is an interesting image that didn’t make the cut for my Central Warehouse post. 

This is a photograph of the Central Warehouse building in 1911 when it was known as the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company located at 160 S 500 West SLC.

Note the railroad switch! 

There are a few of these historic switches left in SLC’S Warehouse District. This specific switch was removed long ago along with the railroad tracks that once ran along what is now 500 West (historically known as 400 West).

The 1911 Sanborn map indicates the original warehouse was located along the D & R G and W P  R R Joint tracks (Denver & Rio Grande and Western Pacific Railroad joint tracks).

Here is a link to some railroad switches still in existence in SLC.

Detail of railroad switch.

Detail of the 1911 Sanborn map

Central Warehouse Building at 520 W 200 South

Central Warehouse 2021

Central Warehouse, side view, 2021

The Central Warehouse at 520 W 200 South will be adapted into the design for the new Cinq Apartments which will wrap around the historic warehouse.

The Central Warehouse building is one the few remaining historic structures in the heart of Salt Lake’s Old GreekTown; however, the building is not specifically associated with the culture or Greek people of GreekTown.

What remains of the Central Warehouse (520 W 200 S) was actually the last addition to the huge warehouse complex that was initially constructed ca. 1910 at ~160 S. 500 West (now demolished; current site of Alta Gateway Station Apts).

The original section of the warehouse along 500 West was built in 1910 for the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, a billiard equipment company based in Chicago. It was then acquired in 1917 by Charles Tyng for use as a warehouse. Charles Tyng died suddenly in 1924 and Central Warehouse Company acquired the property during the settlement of his estate.

Central Warehouse Company was founded by George E. Chandler who was a prominent business and real estate man in Bingham and Salt Lake. It seems that George immediately handed off management of Central Warehouse to his daughter, Bess Chandler Rooklidge, as she was listed as manager in the 1925 city directory under the name “B C Rooklidge” and she was identified as the owner by 1927.

In 1925 Bess was 42 years old, married, and had one 13-year-old son. Before she married, she graduated from Wellesley College and had traveled throughout Asia with her father. Bess’s husband may not have liked his wife’s new career because in 1927 he moved out of the family house and into the Alta Club; Bess identified herself as divorced soon after.

It was under Bess’s management that the Central Warehouse expanded and built the addition now remaining at 520 W 200 South. The warehouse was built in 1929 by contractor Hector M Draper of fire-proof reinforced concrete and it featured a brick front with ornamental colored tile surrounding the doorway and a large mezzanine inside which was used for offices.

Central Warehouse moved their office operations to the new building in Jan 1930. With their new addition and their old building, Central Warehouse Company became one of the largest storehouses in the Intermountain West.

Around WWII, Bess retired and the management of Central Warehouse was taken over by her son J. Chandler Rooklidge. The company dissolved soon after his death in 1975.

The original warehouse section along 500 West was demolished in the 1980s leaving only the 1929 addition still standing. The Central Warehouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. (I think the plaque should be updated to reflect Bess’s contribution instead of her father’s ownership).

The Cinq apartment construction project plans to prominently incorporate the 1929 warehouse into its design and build around it. A small portion of the rear will need to be removed but most of the structure will be kept intact. The Central Warehouse does not have any local historic protections, so the preservation of the building is not required for the developer.

Proposed Cinq Apts. Note Central Warehouse in center.
Images from SLC Planning Commission Report.

Original section of the warehouse in 1912 as the
Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company. From UDSH.

New addition Central Warehouse, 1933. From UDSH.

Interior of 3rd floor, 1933. From UDSH.

New addition and original warehouse 1939. From UDSH.

Central Warehouse 1979. From UDSH.

Detail of front entrance, ca 1997. From UDSH.

Front entrance of Central Warehouse, 2021.

Detail of multi-colored tiles at front entrance, 2021.

Detail of 1950 Sanborn Map.

City Directory advertisements from 1925 (top) and 1926 (bottom).

Bess C. Rooklidge, 1924. From her passport photo on Ancestry.

National Register plaque currently on the Central Warehouse, 2121.
(I think it should be updated to reflect Bess’s contribution instead of her father’s ownership.)