The Pikes Peak Historical Society has selected the lives of Colorado's frontier-era working women as the subject of its October Chautauqua, with the event scheduled for the afternoon of October 18 at Lake George Charter School.
Sex work was pervasive throughout the frontier West, present wherever men gathered in significant numbers — mining settlements, military installations, trading posts, and railroad towns alike — with women providing companionship in exchange for payment. The obscured histories of those women prompted history enthusiast Julie Blanda to develop the presentation.
The program draws on mining history from Leadville and the surrounding Summit and Chaffee County region, tracing who headed west in pursuit of wealth — women included — and how many came away with nothing. Blanda's talk spans the mid-1800s into the early twentieth century, examining the day-to-day circumstances of these women, the social and economic distinctions between parlor workers and those in more basic arrangements, the nature of their clientele, and the conditions of their lodging. Organizers note the program includes lighthearted moments and entertaining details, though they caution it is not suited for young children.
Blanda relocated to Leadville in June 2016 after working as a civil litigation paralegal in Asheville, N.C. She now volunteers as a museum docent at two Leadville historic properties — the Healy House and the Dexter Cabin — and picks up seasonal employment at Ski Cooper each winter. She and her husband make their home in an 1870s miner's cabin in Leadville, and her research interests center on lesser-explored chapters of the town's past.
The Chautauqua carries no admission charge, requires no advance reservation, and is open to all. Those seeking further details may reach organizers at 719-748-8259 or 719-291-6563.
Whether the society has additional Chautauqua programs planned beyond October has not yet been announced.