Scarlet women
History buff brings stories of Silver City madams to life
Liz Mikols is trying to make history more consumable for the average person. Mostly recently that effort involved dressing up like a madam.
Although it might sound lurid, Mikols said it’s fun and it’s helping her connect audiences with an industry that was once a staple of frontier life. Mikols has researched the story of Silver City madams Mildred Clark Cusey, who became a successful businesswoman and was known as Madam Millie; Bessie Harper, who started with nothing and died wealthy; and Lottie Deno, whom some claim was the inspiration for the character of Miss Kitty on the TV show “Gunsmoke.”
Mikols said the research was an eye opener for her.
“There weren’t opportunities for women,” she said. “That (prostitution) was a way to make a lot of money quickly.”
Mikols presents the information she has collected in the spirit of chautauquas, which entails her dressing up as the women and telling their stories through vignettes.
“I want to make history entertaining and relevant,” she said. “I want to answer the questions ‘Why does it matter?’ and ‘Why do I care?’”
A math and science person most of her life, Mikols found herself wading into the history pool after she and her husband retired to Silver City in 2008 and she began volunteering at the Silver City Museum.
Mikols earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of California Berkeley and a master’s from Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and worked for the government and then a private construction firm on energy planning matters.
At the museum, she was exposed to an entirely different world.
“I was never drawn to history in school,” she said. “I was more into math and science. I read a book at the museum about old mining towns and I was hooked.”
Her new interest led her to enroll in a history course at the local university. She considered pursuing a doctorate in history but her instructor encouraged her to instead research several different topics and begin doing talks. She eventually came into contact with the Historical Society of New Mexico, which gave her further encouragement and helps with travel expenses so she can broaden her outreach to other communities.
Mikols said she honed in on the topic of madams because she is fascinated by the history of every day life, particularly for women.
“What interested me is, you know, how do people live,” she said. “... I want to know what family life was like, how did they raise their children, what did their houses look like.”
Not much is known about Harper other than she died in 1929 a land and business owner. Mikols said Harper came from the south but not much is on record about her family or her early life.
Deno, who’s real name was Carlotta Thompkins, was born in Kentucky to a wealthy family. Her father bred racehorses and was a prominent gambler who died in the Civil War but not before teaching Deno the secrets to winning at cards. She would go on to become a legendary gambler in the West. She moved to New Mexico with a fellow gambler after the two reportedly fell in love.
Madam Millie is not only one of the city’s most well-known madams, she is also one of the most prominent figures in its history. Millie, who died in the early 1990s, was born near Kansas City and grew up near St. Louis. At age 12, she and her sister Florence found themselves orphans after their parents, who were Italian immigrants, died during the Spanish flu pandemic in the early 1900s.
The sisters were initially separated but eventually reunited. Millie came to New Mexico with her sister, who had tuberculosis, and began working as a Harvey Girl waitress on the Santa Fe railroad to pay for her sister’s care. Finding it hard to make ends meet, Millie realized she could make more money turning tricks. So began her career in one of the world’s oldest occupations.
Millie would rise to prominence by owning or managing bordellos not only in Silver City, but across the state and country including in Santa Fe, Roswell, Vaughn, Deming, and Alaska and Texas.
Mikols said it was her stint as a Harvey Girl that taught her about the importance of customer service and treating workers well.
“She was a good listener,” Mikols said. “She kept her mouth shut and people trusted her. She made sure her girls had those skills, too.”
Millie rubbed elbows with the state’s top politicians, established a college scholarship for local students and consistently donated to charity. Mikols said anyone who lives in Silver City either knew Millie, benefited from her philanthropy or has heard of her.
“Millie sent so many kids to college,” Mikols said. “She saved families from poverty. She had a big impact on people’s lives.”