The Oasis Bordello Museum in Wallace is a former brothel. Wallace, Idaho, has three museums that represent proud cornerstones of its story: a mining museum, a train depot and a brothel. Illegal brothels openly flourished as late as Branstetter, 36, remembers becoming aware of prostitution around the third grade when a classmate rumored to be the granddaughter of a madam suddenly moved away after a local brothel shut down.
As a University of Idaho student in , mention of her hometown still raised eyebrows among male classmates. She proposed it as the focus for her doctoral dissertation at the University of North Carolina, but her professors discouraged her. Branstetter is now executive director of the Historic Wallace Preservation Society.
I did 99 interviews. I offered anonymity; I wanted to make sure people felt comfortable speaking to me. You found that prostitution was accepted in Wallace for multiple reasons: as a service to single men, for economic benefits, to the perception that it kept local women safe. Branstetter: And the kids too, the kids were considered safe.
Someone brought that point to my attention the other day. The women working in the brothels cultivated feelings around town that they were protecting the women, children and families, while providing a service to single, unmarried men. They gave a lot of money to the community. Kids could always go up there to sell their fundraiser tickets for school.
They gave a lot of money to the schools. They supported different things the town needed β a new cop car, paving the streets. It was always a good way to supplement the town revenue. Branstetter: They were very good about keeping a clean image. They cultivated what was almost a fetish for cleanliness. A bubble bath was a very popular service. You write that locals viewed the brothels in a positive light, as a way of bringing business to town, including lots of college students.
