ozarks
roots
the people, places and traditions that make the ozarks home Submitted Photos
By Julie Turner-Crawford
The visitors center in Fort Smith, Ark., has a storied past
10
A house with a somewhat scandalous reputation in Fort Smith, Ark., is an important part of the history of the community and is reminiscing of at time that once was. It’s also a part of the growing tourism community of the town that was once considered part of the Wild West. The former Miss Laura’s Social Club on First Street was one of several row houses in the old “red light district” of downtown Fort Smith, and is said to be one of the most celebrated bordellos in the Southwest. Miss Laura’s ladies were known to be the most sophisticated in Fort Smith. Today, Miss Laura’s Social Club is known as Miss Laura’s Visitors
Center, serving as a tourist center for Fort Smith, and is the only remaining rowhouse in the downtown area. Prior to becoming a “social club,” Miss Laura’s was the Riverfront Commercial Hotel. Laura Ziegler purchased the hotel, which was built in 1896, for $3,000. After renovations, Miss Laura opened the brothel along the Arkansas River in 1903. “Ten years later, she sold it to one of her girls for $48,000,” Fort Smith Convention and Visitors Bureau Marketing Director Russ Jester said. “Miss Laura’s as a high-society bordello. She was a master marketer and referred to her girls as ‘Miss Laura’s Daughters of Joy.’ It was $3 to spend an evening with
Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com
one of her ‘Daughters of Joy.’ It was $1 at the other bordellos. She also created her own form of currency, like a token. If they had someone come in who was important, they would give them a token and encourage them to come back. She also had her little black book, and if you were in government or of influence, she had the dirt on you.” As the red-light district faded away and business dropped, Miss Laura sold her business in 1910 to Bertha Gale Dean – known as “Big Bertha.” Russ said little is known of Miss Laura after that, and the property soon became rundown, and the house became known as a spot for drinkers and drifters. Bertha continued to operate a brothel until her death in 1948, leaving the property to a man who lived in the house. By 1963, the building was abandoned, and the city planned to demolish it. However, a buyer stepped up and purchased the property. Donrey Media Group founder Donald Reynolds purchased the rowhouse, and Miss Laura’s was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. It is also the first former brothel to be named to the list. Ten years later, restoration began. Reynolds operated Miss Laura’s Social Club and Restaurant for a brief time, but the building again became abandoned. “It got out of shape,” Russ explained. “The city eventually bought it and used grant funding to make repairs, and it became a visitors center. It was a pretty massive project.” In 1996, Miss Laura’s faced demolition again after a tornado ripped through Fort Smith, taking the roof off the 100-year-old structure, but the story of Miss Laura’s still had another chapter. After repairs, the visitor’s center once again opened to share the stories of the community. Russ added the idea of turning a former brothel into a visitors center got many in the community “fired up,” but the building is a part of the history of Fort Smith, Ark., history worth saving and sharing. Russ said on tours, he points out that the women at Miss Laura’s were often running from abusive situations or extreme poverty, and women in those days, had few choices. JANUARY 24, 2022
