| Eliza Haycraft | |
| Birth Date: | 14 February 1820 |
| Death Place: | St Louis, Missouri |
| Occupation: | Brothel madam and philanthropist |
| Nationality: | American |
Eliza Haycraft (1820-1871), was a wealthy brothel madam and philanthropist, who donated money to the widows and orphans of the American Civil War.
Haycraft was born on 14 February 1820. She moved to St. Louis, Missouri, from Callaway County, Missouri, in 1840, reportedly arriving in a canoe.[1] She fled her original home after being cast out by her parents, because she was seduced by a lover at the age of twenty. She arrived in St. Louis destitute, with only the option of selling herself as a courtesan.[2]
Haycraft took advantage of the brief legalization of prostitution in her city, and soon became the owner and manager of a brothel, doing well in business despite her inability to read and write. She signed her name with an "X", and avoided using banks.[1] She bought commercial and residential property, and rented it back out. By the time the Civil War had started, she had two working operations in the continually-growing St. Louis. At the end of the war, she had five. Throughout her career, she was known for being a generous philanthropist, refusing to turn away the city's poor, offering them help and financial aid.
In 1870, her health began to decline, and she died on December 5, 1871, at the age of 51. She left an estate valued at over a quarter million dollars, about 30 million U.S dollars today.[3] More than 5,000 people attended her funeral, and she was buried without a marker in the Bellefontaine Cemetery, in a lot that could have held twenty-one people. She still does not have a headstone.[1] In February 2019, auditions were announced for the world premier of Madam!, "a new musical based loosely on real events" of Haycraft's life with music, words, and book by Colin Healy to debut August 2019.[4] Madam runs at Bluff City Theater in Hannibal MO from August 15 to August 24, 2019.
Outlawed women certainly became wealthy as a result of prostitution during the war. Take, for instance, Eliza Haycraft, who arrived in St. Louis as a nineteen-year-old illiterate runaway wife in the mid-1840s. She earned $12,500 in 1867, enough to be listed as one of "Our Solid Men" on the list of men who earn more than $1,000 per year published each year.[5] In spite of her inability to read, Haycraft was smart enough to build a vast brothel empire in St. Louis, which she rented to her fellow madams. Haycraft was wealthy enough to provide bail to the madams and their girls when they needed it. It was much more difficult for police to conduct periodic busts to constrain prostitution. Due to the wealth and status of property-owning madams like Haycraft, they were able to end the sex trade through the wealth and status of property owners.
Eliza Haycraft used several strategies to build her vast brothel empire in St. Louis. She not only rented out her properties to fellow madams, but she also provided bail for them when needed. By leveraging her wealth and status, Haycraft effectively protected her business from periodic police busts, making it more difficult for authorities to constrain prostitution in the area. In The St. Louis Post, there was an ongoing discussion about how to deal with the growing prostitution in the city during the war, which turned whole blocks over to the trade, encroaching on respectable homes, churches, schools, and hospitals. According to the Union military during the war, decriminalizing prostitution and regulating it instead was the solution that was adopted (83 Stephen Berry). Houses were taxed to cover the costs associated with the regular weekly medical inspections of prostitutes for sexually transmitted diseases and the costs associated with maintaining hospitals for women with active cases of the disease.
Apparently, Haycraft fell victim to the art of seduction at age 20 and was thrown out of her home in Callaway County.[6] Regardless of their power, wealthy madams like Haycraft, who sought to protect the common prostitutes rounded up in raids, were renegades, just like the common prostitutes they once were”. It took her a long time to make it to St. Louis after crossing the Missouri River in a frail canoe, all by herself, in a turbulent canoe. Due to being penniless, illiterate, and good-looking, she became a prostitute, but her intelligence allowed to get into business management. Her timing was impeccable, because St. Louis grew from 36,000 to 350,000 people between 1840 and 1870, and countless young men passed through on their way west. However, the Civil War was her biggest boon. When the Civil War started, Haycraft had two working establishments. By the time it finished, she had five, and had also bought commercial and residential property, signing the deeds with an X because she was unable to write her name. Her stature made it possible for her to purchase a home from the Chouteau family, one of the city's most prominent families, when she retired in 1870
The primary objection to prostitution centered on personal and moral grounds. It was argued that engaging in irregular sexual relations violated divine law. Notably, the classic argument that “bad” women safeguarded the reputation of “good” women was never put forth.[7] Prostitution acts as a magnet for other vices, including drinking and drug use. Prostitution challenged prevailing notions of virtue and purity, leading to social condemnation. Reformers and organizations sought to eradicate prostitution as part of broader efforts to strengthen family life and uphold moral values. Rapid industrialization and urbanization during this period led to population growth, particularly in cities. As a result, more women turned to sex work due to low wages available to servants and seamstresses. The rise of reform movements aimed at addressing social ills, including prostitution. These efforts reflected a desire for positive change in society. Prostitution was linked to criminal activities such as theft and assault. Additionally, diseases like syphilis and gonorrhea spread through sexual encounters. Reformers attempted to save sex workers from what they considered a grave sin and social ill. Their efforts shed light on the realities faced by prostitutes and prompted discussions about public health and safety. Prostitution highlighted the struggles of women in a rapidly changing society and underscored gender inequalities and social hierarchies.
Mid-nineteenth-century law enforcers struggled to preserve social order. This task, however, often entailed managing crime rather than eliminating criminal or disruptive behavior.[8] For example, in order to address the crime, disorder, and immorality associated with "fallen women," the municipal police attempted to regulate or control illicit sexual activity. Such a strategy encouraged law enforcers to arrest some “fallen women” but to protect others. Ironically, the police often supported and assisted those women who engaged in the sex trades most consistently and who were, by middle-class standards, most "depraved," while they vigorously pursued and apprehended women who had scant contact--and often no contact at all--with illicit or illegal activities in the city.
Many city officials believed that “fallen women” were extraordinarily dangerous. Not only were such acts often illegal and considered immoral, but society believed that young men were being lured into sin, which contaminated their innocence. Many of these young men subsequently became drunkards and criminals. Thus municipal officials held “fallen women” responsible for much of the crime committed by men. Arresting these women, therefore, promised to reduce violence, disorder, and property crime, as well as immorality.
Law enforcers in antebellum St. Louis were particularly concerned about “fallen women” and their evil influence. Although policemen throughout the nation "discovered" female offenders during the mid-nineteenth century, public officials in Missouri confronted unusual problems. St. Louis policemen also felt free to interpret the law on the streets and to use it as a tool to achieve goals beyond the focus of specific ordinances. Missouri judges granted law enforcers enormous discretion in applying vagrancy laws, permitting the police to arrest vagrants without warrants and without specific evidence of wrongdoing. According to the Missouri Supreme Court in 1851, requiring such procedures and evidence in vagrancy cases threatened "to take away the safeguard of property and life in our city”.
In antebellum St. Louis, the intersection of law enforcement practices and the social context had significant implications for prostitution. St. Louis was teeming with prostitutes during this period. Rather than outright prohibition, St. Louis officials opted for a unique approach. They decided to regulate prostitution by legalizing it within certain boundaries.
In the spring of 1870, St. Louis became the first American city to legalize prostitution. However, this wasn’t an explicit declaration of legality. Instead, the city introduced the “social evil ordinance”, which allowed officials to regulate prostitution.
The ordinance required registration of houses, madams, and prostitutes for a fee. City medical officers also conducted weekly examinations of the women for diseases to help control and prevent the spread of illnesses. The decision to regulate rather than suppress prostitution sparked debate. Some believed that if the “evil” couldn’t be eradicated, it should be managed within bounds. The regulation disproportionately affected women, as they were the primary participants in the sex trade. It highlighted the gender inequalities and societal norms of the time. St. Louis policemen exercised considerable discretion in interpreting and enforcing laws. They used legal tools beyond specific ordinances to achieve broader goals. Missouri judges granted law enforcers the authority to arrest vagrants without warrants or specific evidence. This flexibility allowed them to target sex workers and other marginalized individuals.
The house was on St. Charles Street between Fifth and Sixth streets. In December 1871, Haycraft died there. The streets around her home were filled with people paying their respects or looking at those who had done so. It is estimated that her estate was worth a quarter-million dollars. The amount would be about $30 million in today's terms. However, she wasn't famous for her wealth, but for her generosity at a time when the government did not provide a safety net for the poor. Her inclusion in the exhibit stunned Rick Lay, Bellefontaine's vice president of customer relations [9] (Moore, Doug newspaper article). She is known as the city's most successful madam, Lay said. "During the Civil War, she was a colorful character." Haycraft, born on Valentine's Day, recognized a business opportunity that appealed to men from Missouri. Eliza had several sisters and a brother under the married name Haycraft. Haycraft also owned at least 19 pieces of real estate.[10] During a prostitution-legal era when brothels were common, she was one of St. Louis' wealthiest people. She was also known for her philanthropy, providing assistance to the poor of the city. She is buried in an unmarked grave in the center of a 20-plot lot she bought. The other plots remain empty.