This is the Western Echo Publications historical photo gallery. Here you will find photographs and illustrations of the places, people, and artifacts from Annie Morrow's lifetime, as portrayed in the historical novel, Peg Leg Annie, by Howard Frisk. The photographs are organized by topic. Some dates mentioned in Annie's life are approximations, both here and in the novel. Selected photographs depict trademarks and brand names of historical significance. Such depictions are not intended to suggest sponsorship, endorsement, or affiliation with the trademark owners. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Rocky Bar, Idaho
Rocky Bar, Idaho, was founded in late 1863 following gold discoveries in the Feather River, Beaver Creek, and surrounding tributaries in the South Boise diggings, quickly growing into the region's largest settlement with over 2,500 residents by late 1864. This was the year that Annie, her brother George, and her parents arrived in Rocky Bar after making the rugged trek on the Oregon Trail from Iowa. Gold was first recovered by panning in the creeks and rivers by individual prospectors. Eventually, groups of miners used sluice boxes when they agreed to work together. In some of Idaho's mining camps in the 1800s, Chinese miners outnumbered white miners and were relegated to the least productive claims. When panning and sluicing were no longer productive, hard rock mining developed, which required the use of huge stamp mills to crush the gold-bearing ore excavated from the mines.
The town's rapid development accelerated after the South Boise Toll Road opened in September 1864, enabling transport of heavy equipment needed for stamp mills. The first five-stamp mill began operations, with milling capacity soon exceeding any other Idaho district by 1866. The boom soon ended because of failed ventures by distant investors, high transport costs, and insufficient ore. Renewed interest followed the 1869 transcontinental railroad and technical advances, sustaining activity into the 1890s. In 1892, a major fire destroyed half of the town. Rebuilding occurred, but the town began its decline into ghost town status as the mines and mills shut down.
Annie Morrow lived in Rocky Bar from age four until she married Thomas Morrow at age seventeen. She spent her married life in Boise and Pine Grove until 1891, when she separated from her husband and moved back to Rocky Bar. In 1893 she moved to Atlanta, Idaho, where she befriended Dutch Em, a dance hall girl who was the daughter of German immigrants. In Atlanta she expanded her business ventures, where she lived for seventeen years before moving back to Rocky Bar. Her businesses rose and fell in step with the boom-and-bust cycles of Idaho's gold mining towns. For the following twenty years, she lived in Rocky Bar before moving for the last time to Mountain Home in 1930 because of her deteriorating health. These historical photographs of Rocky Bar cover the time from the 1860s to the early 1900s. Several of the buildings shown below are mentioned in the Peg Leg Annie novel. It is likely that Annie was indoors when some of these photographs were taken, and if she had stepped outside, she would have been visible in them.
The town's rapid development accelerated after the South Boise Toll Road opened in September 1864, enabling transport of heavy equipment needed for stamp mills. The first five-stamp mill began operations, with milling capacity soon exceeding any other Idaho district by 1866. The boom soon ended because of failed ventures by distant investors, high transport costs, and insufficient ore. Renewed interest followed the 1869 transcontinental railroad and technical advances, sustaining activity into the 1890s. In 1892, a major fire destroyed half of the town. Rebuilding occurred, but the town began its decline into ghost town status as the mines and mills shut down.
Annie Morrow lived in Rocky Bar from age four until she married Thomas Morrow at age seventeen. She spent her married life in Boise and Pine Grove until 1891, when she separated from her husband and moved back to Rocky Bar. In 1893 she moved to Atlanta, Idaho, where she befriended Dutch Em, a dance hall girl who was the daughter of German immigrants. In Atlanta she expanded her business ventures, where she lived for seventeen years before moving back to Rocky Bar. Her businesses rose and fell in step with the boom-and-bust cycles of Idaho's gold mining towns. For the following twenty years, she lived in Rocky Bar before moving for the last time to Mountain Home in 1930 because of her deteriorating health. These historical photographs of Rocky Bar cover the time from the 1860s to the early 1900s. Several of the buildings shown below are mentioned in the Peg Leg Annie novel. It is likely that Annie was indoors when some of these photographs were taken, and if she had stepped outside, she would have been visible in them.
Atlanta, Idaho
The history of Atlanta is closely tied to the history of mining. In 1863, a prospector named John Stanley discovered placer gold in the Yuba River at the base of the rugged Sawtooth Mountain Range in central Idaho. He tried to keep it a secret, but other prospectors soon heard about it, sparking a small gold rush. However, the other prospectors who arrived later and worked nearby rivers had little success and eventually moved on.
A much more significant event occurred in 1864, when Jim Simmons discovered the massive Atlanta Lode, which the first prospectors had somehow missed. A “lode” is a vein of ore containing gold and silver formed between two layers of harder rock, such as granite. The Atlanta Lode was 1.5 miles long and varied between 15 and 30 feet thick. It was named by Southern sympathizers who mistakenly believed that the Confederacy had won the Battle of Atlanta, Georgia. This turned out to be false, but the name stuck, and it was also given to the town founded near the Atlanta Lode. Thousands of miners arrived on the scene, and for the next three years, placer mining on many rivers and creeks was the primary mining activity, even as additional lodes were discovered. Atlanta was one of the most remote mining towns in the United States, with initial access limited to a trail used by pack animals. The main production years ran from 1877 to 1884. When the high-grade ore ran out and operations were no longer profitable, Atlanta experienced a financial collapse as mine owners could no longer pay their creditors.
The photographs of Atlanta range from the 1890s to the early 1900s. Annie and Dutch Em could have been visible in some of these photographs if they had been present when the photographer took them. The Montezuma Hotel was previously known as the James Hotel when Annie operated it as her brothel. This gallery includes a photograph Frank Stevens, a mail carrier that may have traveled from Rocky Bar to Atlanta along the James Creek Road, where Annie and Dutch Em were trapped in a blizzard. Annie passed away in 1934 at the St. Alphonsus Hospital in Boise.
A much more significant event occurred in 1864, when Jim Simmons discovered the massive Atlanta Lode, which the first prospectors had somehow missed. A “lode” is a vein of ore containing gold and silver formed between two layers of harder rock, such as granite. The Atlanta Lode was 1.5 miles long and varied between 15 and 30 feet thick. It was named by Southern sympathizers who mistakenly believed that the Confederacy had won the Battle of Atlanta, Georgia. This turned out to be false, but the name stuck, and it was also given to the town founded near the Atlanta Lode. Thousands of miners arrived on the scene, and for the next three years, placer mining on many rivers and creeks was the primary mining activity, even as additional lodes were discovered. Atlanta was one of the most remote mining towns in the United States, with initial access limited to a trail used by pack animals. The main production years ran from 1877 to 1884. When the high-grade ore ran out and operations were no longer profitable, Atlanta experienced a financial collapse as mine owners could no longer pay their creditors.
The photographs of Atlanta range from the 1890s to the early 1900s. Annie and Dutch Em could have been visible in some of these photographs if they had been present when the photographer took them. The Montezuma Hotel was previously known as the James Hotel when Annie operated it as her brothel. This gallery includes a photograph Frank Stevens, a mail carrier that may have traveled from Rocky Bar to Atlanta along the James Creek Road, where Annie and Dutch Em were trapped in a blizzard. Annie passed away in 1934 at the St. Alphonsus Hospital in Boise.
Saloons
In Idaho's mining towns, saloons were some of the first businesses to be established after miners flooded the gold fields. As towns grew, many saloons that started as nothing more than canvas tents with a few boards on barrels for a bar, transitioned to more permanent structures made of logs or milled lumber. These saloons often had a false (such as the Holy Moses Saloon pictured below) with a front porch, a bar, and basic seating. They still functioned primarily as gathering spots with a focus on drink and socialization. As towns like Rocky Bar and Atlanta grew, so did the size and quality of construction of saloons, often painted and adorned with windows and decorative signage to attract customers. These saloons would commonly have a polished bar, floral wallpaper, framed pictures hung on the walls, wooden flooring (sometimes covered in sawdust to absorb spilled drinks, tobacco spit, and blood), brass spittoons, and a foot rail. The interiors might include oil lamps or gas lighting and a wood stove.
Saloons were integral to the culture and social life of the American West in the late 1800s. They served not only as places for drinking but also as social hubs where people gathered to discuss politics, conduct business, and enjoy entertainment such as live music, card games, and of course gambling, especially the game of faro. They played a crucial role in the local economy, often providing a significant amount of revenue for towns through alcohol sales. Saloons attracted a mix of individuals. However, Chinese, Native Americans, and African Americans were generally not permitted entry. Beyond serving alcohol and gambling, many saloons functioned as businesses where meals were served and lodging was available. Sometimes, prostitution was permitted, typically in an upstairs room, hence the expression "upstairs girl". Annie and Em probably spent many hours in Atlanta's saloons when they were not working as dance hall girls.
Saloons were integral to the culture and social life of the American West in the late 1800s. They served not only as places for drinking but also as social hubs where people gathered to discuss politics, conduct business, and enjoy entertainment such as live music, card games, and of course gambling, especially the game of faro. They played a crucial role in the local economy, often providing a significant amount of revenue for towns through alcohol sales. Saloons attracted a mix of individuals. However, Chinese, Native Americans, and African Americans were generally not permitted entry. Beyond serving alcohol and gambling, many saloons functioned as businesses where meals were served and lodging was available. Sometimes, prostitution was permitted, typically in an upstairs room, hence the expression "upstairs girl". Annie and Em probably spent many hours in Atlanta's saloons when they were not working as dance hall girls.
Boarding Houses, Dance Halls, and Hurdy-Gurdy Girls
Boarding houses were essential enterprises on the American frontier, providing affordable housing in rapidly growing boomtowns where people arrived without the means to build homes. The business model was straightforward but demanding. A boarding house proprietor provided housekeeping services and three meals a day, usually eaten at a common table. Breakfast was almost always included, and often supper, with some hostesses occasionally offering laundry service as well. The typical establishment included many bedrooms, a common washroom, a large dining room, and a parlor for boarders to gather.
The proprietors of boarding houses tended to be women, often widows struggling to make a living without a husband to provide income. Running a boarding house was one of the few ways women could earn a substantial income in the American West in the late 1800s. Often operated by enterprising women, these establishments charged by the night or week, providing stability and comfort in a chaotic environment. Annie reinvested profits from her boarding houses and successfully expanded her business holdings. Boarding house operators who reinvested their earnings into more properties built mini empires as mining towns boomed, as Annie did in Atlanta. The key to success was reputation. Those who kept their houses clean and their food hearty developed loyal clientele, ensuring steady profits. In mining camps like Rocky Bar and Atlanta, good food was crucial—a well-run kitchen gave an establishment its reputation and made up for other shortcomings.
Dance halls in the American West operated on a simple but highly profitable multi-revenue stream business model that capitalized on the overwhelmingly male population and miners' newfound wealth. The customer typically paid $1.00 for a ticket to dance, with the proceeds being split between the dance hall girl and the dance hall owner. Dancing usually began in the evening, ranging from waltzes to polkas to schottisches.
After the dance, the dance hall girl would steer the gentleman to the bar or table, where she would make an additional commission from selling drinks. The business thrived because of market conditions unique to the frontier. Much of the gold was used locally to purchase food, supplies and lodging for the miners, and also went towards entertainment, which consisted of anything from a traveling theater to alcohol, gambling, and prostitutes. The population of many mining towns was ninety percent male, which created an intense demand for female companionship of any kind.
The hurdy-gurdy is a stringed instrument that produces sound through a hand-cranked wheel acting as a continuous bow against the strings, with a keyboard used to press levers that change the pitch of melody strings while drone strings provide accompaniment. Its origins trace back to medieval Europe, likely evolving from earlier fiddle-like instruments in Europe. "Hurdy-gurdy girls" were young female entertainers, often German immigrants (as was the case with Dutch Em in the novel), who performed with their hurdy-gurdy in dance halls and saloons. Some hurdy-gurdy girls also worked as dance hall girls.
In the novel, Peg Leg Annie, which is loosely based on historical documentation, Annie Morrow owned a boarding house in Rocky Bar, which she purchased as an ongoing business. The previous owner rented rooms on the second floor to prostitutes. After Annie purchased the boarding house, she permitted this type of activity to continue, although she was not directly involved in it. After Annie moved to Atlanta and worked as a dance hall girl, she eventually entered prostitution as an "upstairs girl" in the dance hall. After saving enough money, she purchased the James Hotel and converted it into her brothel. Following the amputation of her legs, she could no longer dance or work as an upstairs girl, but she continued to run the James Hotel as her brothel. After several years, she transformed her brothel into a common hotel, free of any prostitution. Due to declining mining operations in Atlanta, she was forced to sell her brothel and other business interests and move back to Rocky Bar.
The proprietors of boarding houses tended to be women, often widows struggling to make a living without a husband to provide income. Running a boarding house was one of the few ways women could earn a substantial income in the American West in the late 1800s. Often operated by enterprising women, these establishments charged by the night or week, providing stability and comfort in a chaotic environment. Annie reinvested profits from her boarding houses and successfully expanded her business holdings. Boarding house operators who reinvested their earnings into more properties built mini empires as mining towns boomed, as Annie did in Atlanta. The key to success was reputation. Those who kept their houses clean and their food hearty developed loyal clientele, ensuring steady profits. In mining camps like Rocky Bar and Atlanta, good food was crucial—a well-run kitchen gave an establishment its reputation and made up for other shortcomings.
Dance halls in the American West operated on a simple but highly profitable multi-revenue stream business model that capitalized on the overwhelmingly male population and miners' newfound wealth. The customer typically paid $1.00 for a ticket to dance, with the proceeds being split between the dance hall girl and the dance hall owner. Dancing usually began in the evening, ranging from waltzes to polkas to schottisches.
After the dance, the dance hall girl would steer the gentleman to the bar or table, where she would make an additional commission from selling drinks. The business thrived because of market conditions unique to the frontier. Much of the gold was used locally to purchase food, supplies and lodging for the miners, and also went towards entertainment, which consisted of anything from a traveling theater to alcohol, gambling, and prostitutes. The population of many mining towns was ninety percent male, which created an intense demand for female companionship of any kind.
The hurdy-gurdy is a stringed instrument that produces sound through a hand-cranked wheel acting as a continuous bow against the strings, with a keyboard used to press levers that change the pitch of melody strings while drone strings provide accompaniment. Its origins trace back to medieval Europe, likely evolving from earlier fiddle-like instruments in Europe. "Hurdy-gurdy girls" were young female entertainers, often German immigrants (as was the case with Dutch Em in the novel), who performed with their hurdy-gurdy in dance halls and saloons. Some hurdy-gurdy girls also worked as dance hall girls.
In the novel, Peg Leg Annie, which is loosely based on historical documentation, Annie Morrow owned a boarding house in Rocky Bar, which she purchased as an ongoing business. The previous owner rented rooms on the second floor to prostitutes. After Annie purchased the boarding house, she permitted this type of activity to continue, although she was not directly involved in it. After Annie moved to Atlanta and worked as a dance hall girl, she eventually entered prostitution as an "upstairs girl" in the dance hall. After saving enough money, she purchased the James Hotel and converted it into her brothel. Following the amputation of her legs, she could no longer dance or work as an upstairs girl, but she continued to run the James Hotel as her brothel. After several years, she transformed her brothel into a common hotel, free of any prostitution. Due to declining mining operations in Atlanta, she was forced to sell her brothel and other business interests and move back to Rocky Bar.
Dance Hall Girls
Dance hall girls were entertainers who worked in dance halls throughout the American West. They entertained men through singing, conversation, and dancing. Their primary responsibilities included dancing with male customers, encouraging them to buy drinks, and creating a lively atmosphere that kept customers spending money. Dance hall girls often received around ten dollars a week in wages, plus a commission on drinks and dances. The men would pay a regular price for the ladies' drinks, though the women would secretly be served tea or colored water. A popular girl could average fifty dances a night, sometimes making more money in a night than a miner would make in a month.
There was a distinction between dance hall girls and prostitutes. Contrary to some popular thinking, dance hall girls were not necessarily prostitutes. Despite not being prostitutes, dance hall girls occupied an ambiguous social position. They existed in a gray area—not quite respectable by Victorian standards but maintaining clear boundaries that separated them from prostitutes. In some dance halls, “soiled doves” worked alongside the dance hall girls who did not service men. The coexistence of both groups in dance halls sometimes blurred the lines in the eyes of the townsfolk, contributing to a poor reputation that dance hall girls did not deserve. There were exceptions, as some dance hall girls were also upstairs girls, as portrayed in the novel.
There was a distinction between dance hall girls and prostitutes. Contrary to some popular thinking, dance hall girls were not necessarily prostitutes. Despite not being prostitutes, dance hall girls occupied an ambiguous social position. They existed in a gray area—not quite respectable by Victorian standards but maintaining clear boundaries that separated them from prostitutes. In some dance halls, “soiled doves” worked alongside the dance hall girls who did not service men. The coexistence of both groups in dance halls sometimes blurred the lines in the eyes of the townsfolk, contributing to a poor reputation that dance hall girls did not deserve. There were exceptions, as some dance hall girls were also upstairs girls, as portrayed in the novel.
Gibson Girls
Charles Gibson sold his first illustration in 1886 to Life magazine, and it was through this publication that he launched one of the most influential cultural images in American history. During the 1890s, Gibson began creating illustrations of a particular type of young woman that would become known as the iconic “Gibson Girl”. Gibson saw his creation as representing the composite of thousands of American girls rather than any single person, though many women posed for Gibson Girl-style illustrations, including his wife and model Evelyn Nesbit. The Gibson Girl had a distinctive look that became instantly recognizable. She was tall and slender, with an exaggerated S-curve figure shape achieved by wearing a swan-bill corset. Her neck was thin, and her hair piled high upon her head in the contemporary bouffant, pompadour, and chignon fashions. She was a member of upper middle-class society, always perfectly dressed in the latest fashionable attire appropriate for the place and time of day, typically set in New York City.
The Gibson Girl's popularity was unprecedented. Some people argue that the Gibson Girl was the first national beauty standard for American women. Gibson made an enormous impact on American culture by creating a gauge by which female beauty could be judged. The Gibson Girl was one of the new, more athletically shaped women, who could be found cycling through Central Park in New York City, often exercised and was emancipated to the extent that she could enter the workplace. The Gibson Girl pursued higher education, romance, marriage, physical well-being, and individuality with unprecedented independence. She was depicted as confident, capable, and intelligent—a stark departure from earlier Victorian ideals of fragile, home-bound femininity. The Gibson Girl's existence was almost entirely defined by the way she interacted with men. Gibson's illustrations often showed her as the object of male adoration, with men following her commands and vying for her attention, reinforcing traditional gender dynamics even while presenting a more modern woman. This is poignantly shown in this illustration that appeared in Life magazine, titled Love in a Garden, where two gentlemen are planting a tree upside down as commanded by an aloof Gibson Girl.
The Gibson Girl's popularity was unprecedented. Some people argue that the Gibson Girl was the first national beauty standard for American women. Gibson made an enormous impact on American culture by creating a gauge by which female beauty could be judged. The Gibson Girl was one of the new, more athletically shaped women, who could be found cycling through Central Park in New York City, often exercised and was emancipated to the extent that she could enter the workplace. The Gibson Girl pursued higher education, romance, marriage, physical well-being, and individuality with unprecedented independence. She was depicted as confident, capable, and intelligent—a stark departure from earlier Victorian ideals of fragile, home-bound femininity. The Gibson Girl's existence was almost entirely defined by the way she interacted with men. Gibson's illustrations often showed her as the object of male adoration, with men following her commands and vying for her attention, reinforcing traditional gender dynamics even while presenting a more modern woman. This is poignantly shown in this illustration that appeared in Life magazine, titled Love in a Garden, where two gentlemen are planting a tree upside down as commanded by an aloof Gibson Girl.
Love in a Garden, illustrated by Charles Gibson for Life magazine
Pictured below are copies of the three Life magazines that Dutch Em received from one of her customers, as portrayed in the novel.
The caption on the first cover illustration reads:
"He: I could hypnotize you so that within an hour you would throw your arms around my neck.
"She: I could hypnotize you with that effect in five minutes." Annie and Dutch Em talk about this illustration in the novel.
Annie and Dutch Em discuss the illustration shown in the fourth illustration, titled Sure Signs. The caption reads:
"Do you know that Chollie actually gives evidence of possessing intelligence at times."
"Fact--He has learned to look both ways for approaching cable cars in crossing Broadway."
Some of the most well know illustrations of the Gibson Girl by Charles Gibson are shown below, along with historical photographs of women with the Gibson Girl look.
The caption on the first cover illustration reads:
"He: I could hypnotize you so that within an hour you would throw your arms around my neck.
"She: I could hypnotize you with that effect in five minutes." Annie and Dutch Em talk about this illustration in the novel.
Annie and Dutch Em discuss the illustration shown in the fourth illustration, titled Sure Signs. The caption reads:
"Do you know that Chollie actually gives evidence of possessing intelligence at times."
"Fact--He has learned to look both ways for approaching cable cars in crossing Broadway."
Some of the most well know illustrations of the Gibson Girl by Charles Gibson are shown below, along with historical photographs of women with the Gibson Girl look.
Evelyn Nesbit
A special mention should be made of Evelyn Nesbit. She occupies a distinctive place in American cultural history as one of the most recognizable models associated with the Gibson Girl, the iconic feminine ideal of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Although the Gibson Girl was not a single individual, but an artistic composite created by illustrator Charles Dana Gibson, Nesbit’s image and career closely aligned with—and helped popularize—that ideal during its peak.
Born in 1884, Nesbit began modeling as a teenager to support her family. Her striking appearance—tall, slender, with delicate features, expressive eyes, and sultry expressions—attracted the attention of prominent artists and photographers in New York. Among them was Charles Dana Gibson, whose pen-and-ink illustrations defined the Gibson Girl as modern, confident, fashionable, and subtly independent. The Gibson Girl represented a departure from the fragile Victorian woman; she was athletic, poised, and socially assured, embodying the aspirations of a changing America.
Nesbit posed for Gibson and for other leading illustrators of the era, becoming one of the most photographed and illustrated women of her time. While Gibson never officially named a single “Gibson Girl,” Nesbit’s likeness strongly influenced the public’s perception of the type. Her image appeared in magazines, advertisements, and promotional materials, helping to cement the Gibson Girl as a national symbol of beauty and sophistication. In the novel, Peg Leg Annie, Dutch Em was enamored with the Gibson Girl look, while Annie remained skeptical.
Born in 1884, Nesbit began modeling as a teenager to support her family. Her striking appearance—tall, slender, with delicate features, expressive eyes, and sultry expressions—attracted the attention of prominent artists and photographers in New York. Among them was Charles Dana Gibson, whose pen-and-ink illustrations defined the Gibson Girl as modern, confident, fashionable, and subtly independent. The Gibson Girl represented a departure from the fragile Victorian woman; she was athletic, poised, and socially assured, embodying the aspirations of a changing America.
Nesbit posed for Gibson and for other leading illustrators of the era, becoming one of the most photographed and illustrated women of her time. While Gibson never officially named a single “Gibson Girl,” Nesbit’s likeness strongly influenced the public’s perception of the type. Her image appeared in magazines, advertisements, and promotional materials, helping to cement the Gibson Girl as a national symbol of beauty and sophistication. In the novel, Peg Leg Annie, Dutch Em was enamored with the Gibson Girl look, while Annie remained skeptical.
Soiled Doves
Prostitution in the American West operated within a strict hierarchical structure, with distinct levels that ranged from luxury establishments serving wealthy clientele to desperate women working the streets. This social and economic stratification determined not only earnings but also safety, living conditions, and social status. In the mining boomtowns such as Rocky Bar and Atlanta, prostitution was a widespread and often tolerated vice due to the overwhelmingly male population of miners, prospectors, and laborers, who far outnumbered women, sometimes as severe as one hundred to one. The populations of both Rocky Bar and Atlanta peaked at about 2,500. This suggests that there were at least twenty-five prostitutes in each town. Brothels provided an outlet for these workers, and local authorities viewed them as a necessary evil to prevent harassment or assault on respectable women in the town. Prostitution remained technically illegal under laws and ordinances that prohibited bawdy houses, indecent exposure, vagrancy, and related offenses. Despite this, sheriffs and marshals rarely shut down brothels entirely. Instead, they imposed periodic fines on madams, boarding house and dance hall owners, allowing operations to continue uninterrupted. This practice served multiple purposes, but the primary reason was economic: the fines functioned as an informal system of taxation or licensing fees that generated significant revenue for cash-strapped mining towns. This approach balanced moral and legal prohibitions with the practical realities of frontier life, turning an illicit activity into a reliable source of municipal funding while keeping it contained and profitable for the town.
In the mining towns of Idaho during the late 1800s, multiple gold rushes attracted thousands of predominantly male miners, creating severe gender imbalances. This environment, combined with harsh frontier conditions, made prostitution one of the few viable economic options for women. While some entered the trade voluntarily seeking opportunity, many were driven by necessity in a region with limited alternatives for female employment. Respectable jobs for single women were scarce in mining towns like Rocky Bar and Atlanta. Options were mostly confined to laundry, cooking, boarding housework, or working as a seamstress, which paid poorly and were inadequate for supporting a single woman or dependents. The Gibson Girl look was popular with many prostitutes.
Top Tier: Parlor Houses
Prostitutes in mining towns did not work in parlor houses. There were no parlor houses in Rocky Bar or Atlanta, as they were usually found in large cities and serviced men of wealth or high positions, the best of which looked like respectable mansions. To advertise the building's true intent, red lanterns were often hung under the eaves or beside the door, and bold red curtains adorned the lower windows. Inside, there was usually a lavishly decorated parlor, hence the name "parlor house." The walls were flanked with sofas and chairs, and often a piano stood in attendance for girls who might play or sing requests for customers. The establishment expected their girls to be cultured and educated.
Upper Middle Tier: Brothels
Most prostitutes worked in brothels run by a madam, and there was little attempt to conceal their purpose. Upper middle tier brothels operated in both Rocky Bar and Atlanta, including the James Hotel owned by Annie. Brothels typically serviced men and nothing else. Clients were men who chose not to frequent dance halls or saloons. Chinese, Native American, and African American men were normally not allowed in brothels.
Lower Middle Tier: Dance Halls, Saloons, and Boarding Houses
Unlike a brothel, the primary business of dance halls, saloons, and boarding houses was not prostitution. As the names imply, dance halls provided female companionship in the form of dancing, conversation, and drinks. A saloon's primary business model was selling drinks and providing a place for gambling. Boarding houses provided room and board. A dance hall, saloon, or boarding house may or may not provide rooms for prostitutes. Where they did, the rooms were commonly located on the second floor, which gave rise to the term "upstairs girl". In the novel, Annie rented rooms to upstairs girls in her Miner's Haven boarding house in Rocky Bar, but Annie herself was not involved in their business. However, both Annie and Dutch Em were upstairs girls at the Silver Moon Dance Hall in Atlanta. Customers were miners and other working-class men. Chinese, Native American, and African American men were normally not allowed in these establishments.
Bottom Tier: Cribs
Cribs were often little more than run-down shacks, sometime just a single room as small as four by six feet. Some rooms were just large enough for a bed, a washstand, a stove, and a small trunk. Some of them had bars on the windows, making the workers essentially prisoners. Cribs were usually found in the Chinatown district of Idaho's mining towns. Both Rocky Bar and Atlanta had Chinatowns. In the novel, Meng Yao was confined to a crib in Rocky Bar's Chinatown until Annie purchased her freedom. Many Chinese women, often teenagers from impoverished rural families in China, were sold by parents during famines or economic hardships, sometimes under the illusion of marriage or domestic work abroad. Others were kidnapped or tricked by criminal networks tied to tongs. These were primarily legal, social, and benevolent organizations for Chinese immigrants in the U.S., formed by people with common surnames or from the same region in China for mutual support. However, sometimes tongs became involved in illegal activities like gambling or drug dealing or were linked to Triads (the Chinese Mafia), street gangs, and prostitution.
Women and girls were smuggled via ships to ports like San Francisco, enduring overcrowded, disease-ridden voyages, then transported inland by pack trains over treacherous mountain trails to mining camps, including Rocky Bar and Atlanta. Upon arrival, they were auctioned off for prices up to $2,500 and forced into indentured contracts typically lasting four to six years. Illiterate and non-English-speaking, they thumb printed contracts they could not read, binding them to brothel owners who deducted "debts" for transport, food, and clothing, effectively perpetuating servitude indefinitely. These conditions were exacerbated by anti-Chinese sentiment prevalent in mining towns. Cribs served mostly Chinese, Native American, and African American men.
In the mining towns of Idaho during the late 1800s, multiple gold rushes attracted thousands of predominantly male miners, creating severe gender imbalances. This environment, combined with harsh frontier conditions, made prostitution one of the few viable economic options for women. While some entered the trade voluntarily seeking opportunity, many were driven by necessity in a region with limited alternatives for female employment. Respectable jobs for single women were scarce in mining towns like Rocky Bar and Atlanta. Options were mostly confined to laundry, cooking, boarding housework, or working as a seamstress, which paid poorly and were inadequate for supporting a single woman or dependents. The Gibson Girl look was popular with many prostitutes.
Top Tier: Parlor Houses
Prostitutes in mining towns did not work in parlor houses. There were no parlor houses in Rocky Bar or Atlanta, as they were usually found in large cities and serviced men of wealth or high positions, the best of which looked like respectable mansions. To advertise the building's true intent, red lanterns were often hung under the eaves or beside the door, and bold red curtains adorned the lower windows. Inside, there was usually a lavishly decorated parlor, hence the name "parlor house." The walls were flanked with sofas and chairs, and often a piano stood in attendance for girls who might play or sing requests for customers. The establishment expected their girls to be cultured and educated.
Upper Middle Tier: Brothels
Most prostitutes worked in brothels run by a madam, and there was little attempt to conceal their purpose. Upper middle tier brothels operated in both Rocky Bar and Atlanta, including the James Hotel owned by Annie. Brothels typically serviced men and nothing else. Clients were men who chose not to frequent dance halls or saloons. Chinese, Native American, and African American men were normally not allowed in brothels.
Lower Middle Tier: Dance Halls, Saloons, and Boarding Houses
Unlike a brothel, the primary business of dance halls, saloons, and boarding houses was not prostitution. As the names imply, dance halls provided female companionship in the form of dancing, conversation, and drinks. A saloon's primary business model was selling drinks and providing a place for gambling. Boarding houses provided room and board. A dance hall, saloon, or boarding house may or may not provide rooms for prostitutes. Where they did, the rooms were commonly located on the second floor, which gave rise to the term "upstairs girl". In the novel, Annie rented rooms to upstairs girls in her Miner's Haven boarding house in Rocky Bar, but Annie herself was not involved in their business. However, both Annie and Dutch Em were upstairs girls at the Silver Moon Dance Hall in Atlanta. Customers were miners and other working-class men. Chinese, Native American, and African American men were normally not allowed in these establishments.
Bottom Tier: Cribs
Cribs were often little more than run-down shacks, sometime just a single room as small as four by six feet. Some rooms were just large enough for a bed, a washstand, a stove, and a small trunk. Some of them had bars on the windows, making the workers essentially prisoners. Cribs were usually found in the Chinatown district of Idaho's mining towns. Both Rocky Bar and Atlanta had Chinatowns. In the novel, Meng Yao was confined to a crib in Rocky Bar's Chinatown until Annie purchased her freedom. Many Chinese women, often teenagers from impoverished rural families in China, were sold by parents during famines or economic hardships, sometimes under the illusion of marriage or domestic work abroad. Others were kidnapped or tricked by criminal networks tied to tongs. These were primarily legal, social, and benevolent organizations for Chinese immigrants in the U.S., formed by people with common surnames or from the same region in China for mutual support. However, sometimes tongs became involved in illegal activities like gambling or drug dealing or were linked to Triads (the Chinese Mafia), street gangs, and prostitution.
Women and girls were smuggled via ships to ports like San Francisco, enduring overcrowded, disease-ridden voyages, then transported inland by pack trains over treacherous mountain trails to mining camps, including Rocky Bar and Atlanta. Upon arrival, they were auctioned off for prices up to $2,500 and forced into indentured contracts typically lasting four to six years. Illiterate and non-English-speaking, they thumb printed contracts they could not read, binding them to brothel owners who deducted "debts" for transport, food, and clothing, effectively perpetuating servitude indefinitely. These conditions were exacerbated by anti-Chinese sentiment prevalent in mining towns. Cribs served mostly Chinese, Native American, and African American men.
Artifacts
Family Bay State apple peeler
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Tools In the opening scene of the Peg Leg Annie novel, we find Annie sitting on the porch of the Rocky Bar Mercantile in Rocky Bar operating an apple peeler, much like the Family Bay State model shown in the advertisement. "Annie set the apple peeler on the three-legged stool between her legs. She turned the crank, tossed a peeled apple into the tin bucket, and jammed another one on the peeler. The thin blade scraped across the apple, curling the skin away in perfect ribbons until the white flesh beneath gleamed, allowing her to savor its sweet scent. Jonathans and Winesaps are my favorites, but today I got a crate of Gravensteins. I like how the Gravensteins are green with red streaks. What a pretty design. I could do this for hours, and sometimes I do, especially when I want to forget things, like my dreadful home life. That afternoon, the first real breath of a strong wind in days sent a snarl of her dark brown hair across her face. She brushed it aside, but it only tangled worse because of the sticky apple juice on her fingers. She wrinkled her nose, flicked her hair over one shoulder, and set her jaw with quiet resolve. These are more apples than I’ve ever seen, and Mrs. MacGregor expects every last one peeled by two o’clock. Seems like everyone has to have their applesauce. But I guess I shouldn’t complain." |
Drinks
Annie and Dutch Em were both fond of whiskey, and unfortunately this fondness contributed to the fateful day in 1895 when they made the misguided decision to walk the fifteen-mile-long James Creek Road from Atlanta to Rocky Bar. There were two problems: the mountain pass was snowbound, and they were both drunk. The novel lays out the whole scenario. Annie enjoyed Old Forrester Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Four Roses Whiskey, but her favorite was Old Overholt Straight Rye Whiskey. These are mentioned several times in the novel.
Upon Annie's return to Rocky Bar after an absence of fifteen years, she re-unites with her best friend Hazel. In the novel, while Hazel is away from the kitchen for a moment, Annie picks up a tin of Lipton's Tea, and remarks, "Mr. Lipton, I presume?"
Arbuckles Ground Coffee was the brand of choice among coffee drinkers in the American West in the late 1800s and 1900s, including Annie.
Annie and Dutch Em were both fond of whiskey, and unfortunately this fondness contributed to the fateful day in 1895 when they made the misguided decision to walk the fifteen-mile-long James Creek Road from Atlanta to Rocky Bar. There were two problems: the mountain pass was snowbound, and they were both drunk. The novel lays out the whole scenario. Annie enjoyed Old Forrester Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Four Roses Whiskey, but her favorite was Old Overholt Straight Rye Whiskey. These are mentioned several times in the novel.
Upon Annie's return to Rocky Bar after an absence of fifteen years, she re-unites with her best friend Hazel. In the novel, while Hazel is away from the kitchen for a moment, Annie picks up a tin of Lipton's Tea, and remarks, "Mr. Lipton, I presume?"
Arbuckles Ground Coffee was the brand of choice among coffee drinkers in the American West in the late 1800s and 1900s, including Annie.
Laudanum
Laudanum is a tincture made from approximately 10% powdered opium by weight (equivalent to about 1% morphine) dissolved in ethanol. It is derived from the latex of the opium poppy and contains several opium alkaloids, including morphine and codeine. Gilbert's No. 10 Laudanum ranges between 45% to 47% alcohol. Historically, laudanum was a versatile remedy used as a pain reliever, cough suppressant, and treatment for diarrhea, excessive secretions, insomnia, irritation, and conditions like colds, meningitis, menstrual cramps, and teething pains in infants (unthinkable today). It was administered during surgeries, in patent medicines, and for epidemic control in cases like cholera. It was widely prescribed for "female disorders" and as a general sedative. Laudanum carries significant risks due to its opioid content, including a high potential for psychological and physical dependence, tolerance, addiction, and withdrawal symptoms. Overdose is a major risk. As little as 10mL (1/3 ounce) can lead to respiratory depression, hypoxia, coma, or cardiac arrest, and even death. It was a common method of suicide in the 1800s.
Laudanum's place in the Peg Leg Annie novel occurs where Annie is staying with a friend after escaping from her abusive relationship with her husband Thomas. Annie's friend is a midwife, who accidentally caused a baby to be stillborn due to an overdose of Laudanum to the mother during childbirth.
Laudanum is a tincture made from approximately 10% powdered opium by weight (equivalent to about 1% morphine) dissolved in ethanol. It is derived from the latex of the opium poppy and contains several opium alkaloids, including morphine and codeine. Gilbert's No. 10 Laudanum ranges between 45% to 47% alcohol. Historically, laudanum was a versatile remedy used as a pain reliever, cough suppressant, and treatment for diarrhea, excessive secretions, insomnia, irritation, and conditions like colds, meningitis, menstrual cramps, and teething pains in infants (unthinkable today). It was administered during surgeries, in patent medicines, and for epidemic control in cases like cholera. It was widely prescribed for "female disorders" and as a general sedative. Laudanum carries significant risks due to its opioid content, including a high potential for psychological and physical dependence, tolerance, addiction, and withdrawal symptoms. Overdose is a major risk. As little as 10mL (1/3 ounce) can lead to respiratory depression, hypoxia, coma, or cardiac arrest, and even death. It was a common method of suicide in the 1800s.
Laudanum's place in the Peg Leg Annie novel occurs where Annie is staying with a friend after escaping from her abusive relationship with her husband Thomas. Annie's friend is a midwife, who accidentally caused a baby to be stillborn due to an overdose of Laudanum to the mother during childbirth.
An 1892 advertisement for the Rochester 5 x 7 folding view camera
An advertisement for the Rochester 5 x 7 folding view camera, with a cost of $45
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The Rochester 5 x 7 Folding Camera In the novel, this was the camera that the photographer used to take Annie's portrait in Rocky Bar. A separate advertisement for the camera reads in part, as follows: Is the simplest and most convenient camera of this style yet produced. It measures when closed but 7 x 7 1/2 x 8 3/4, yet holds lens, shutter, and four plate holders or roll holder. It is made of mahogany, highly polished and trimmed with polished and lacquered brass, and the outside covered with fine grain leather. It has a leather bellows with color to correspond with the finish. It is fitted with a high grade symmetrical lens which will cut the field clear and sharp with full opening. The shutter is our self-setting safety, working between the lenses, it is never open except when the exposure is being made, and there is no winding or setting required (merely push the button0, for time exposure that same button is used in connection with a release. The focusing scale is accurately adjusted and each camera is tested before leaving the factory. The price in 1892 was $45.00. This is equivalent to about $1,500 in todays dollars. The camera was intended for professional photographers. |
A photograph believed to be of Annie Morrow in her early thirties
Currency
For Annie's traumatic first experience as an upstairs girl, she was paid with three one-dollar gold coins. In the novel, she spends several minutes examining one of the coins. Later in the novel, she examines these bills as she is preparing to give cash to Henry Longhini.
For Annie's traumatic first experience as an upstairs girl, she was paid with three one-dollar gold coins. In the novel, she spends several minutes examining one of the coins. Later in the novel, she examines these bills as she is preparing to give cash to Henry Longhini.
Printed Material
The first newspaper clipping below reports the murder of Annie's father, Stephen McIntyre. Annie was only eleven years old when this happened. The advertisement by the Rocky Bar Stage Line offers tickets from Boise City to Rocky Bar for $18, with 40 pounds of luggage allowed. The ad for the Elmore Restaurant in the Elmore Bulletin is something Annie read when she first returned to Rocky Bar after a fifteen-year absence. The last clipping announces the funeral for a mail carrier named George McKinney. From 1892 to 1913, seven mail carriers died along the James Creek Road between Atlanta and Rocky Bar. Many of them froze to death.
During Annie's recovery period from her amputation, a young nurse named Effie Prey provided care. Effie was an avid reader of dime novels, which were mailed monthly to subscribers for the price of ten cents per issue. She was reading the February 1895 issue of Famous Fiction and volunteered to read out loud a section of The Wizard of Granada to Annie. As described in the novel, Effie read the first few paragraphs of Chapter VII, shown below.
The first newspaper clipping below reports the murder of Annie's father, Stephen McIntyre. Annie was only eleven years old when this happened. The advertisement by the Rocky Bar Stage Line offers tickets from Boise City to Rocky Bar for $18, with 40 pounds of luggage allowed. The ad for the Elmore Restaurant in the Elmore Bulletin is something Annie read when she first returned to Rocky Bar after a fifteen-year absence. The last clipping announces the funeral for a mail carrier named George McKinney. From 1892 to 1913, seven mail carriers died along the James Creek Road between Atlanta and Rocky Bar. Many of them froze to death.
During Annie's recovery period from her amputation, a young nurse named Effie Prey provided care. Effie was an avid reader of dime novels, which were mailed monthly to subscribers for the price of ten cents per issue. She was reading the February 1895 issue of Famous Fiction and volunteered to read out loud a section of The Wizard of Granada to Annie. As described in the novel, Effie read the first few paragraphs of Chapter VII, shown below.
This is a section of a map issued by the U.S. Geological Survey dated April 1894. The map shows the 15-mile-long James Creek Road between Atlanta and Rocky bar. Bill Tate, the mail carrier, found Annie delirious in the snow somewhere between the location of Em's death and the summit cabin. He helped Annie reach the summit cabin to shelter there while we went back to Atlanta to get help. Dutch Em's body was found a few days later.
This is the memorial for Annie Morrow and Dutch Em located along the James Creek Road.
