Mile Marker 81: Red Light District of Helena Montana (Reeders Alley)

We headed north to the capitol of Montana, Helena. It's old, there was a Red Light District, It was called Reeders Alley. We went to see what we could see and right here, we tell you all about it.

Transcript

Reeders Alley 

Key: Drifter, Male voice. Gypsie, Female voice

Uplifting rock/western tune plays for 15 seconds, music begins to taper down then:

(Drifter) Welcome to the Rebel At Large Adventure Podcast. I’m Drifter

(Gypsie) And I’m  Gypsie

(Drifter) Talking about Ghost towns,

(Gypsie) Graveyards,

(Drifter) Outlaws, Heroes

(Gypsie) And Ladies of the night.

Music tapers to an end

(Drifter) Howdy folks, Thanks for joining us for yet another adventure. In this episode we head to the capital city of Montana searching for what is left of its once soiled doves.

(Gypsie) A few years back we went on a trip to Helena Montana to find some of the last standing locations that the women of the red light district were involved in. Our first stop brought us to Reeder’s Alley, originally known as Cutler Street. This area is the oldest intact part of the city and is full of so much history. 

(Drifter) Gold was discovered in the area on July 14, 1864 by the Four Georgians. These four men were John Cowan and John Crab who came from Georgia as well as J.D. Miller from Iowa and Robert Stanley from London England. Soon men started moving to the area to strike it rich. The area was first called Last Chance Camp. Shortly after more people came to the area, new town names were suggested. Things like Pumpkinville, Squashtown and Tomah, but for some reason they settled on Helena. (Gypsie) I mean Squashtown sounds pretty cool, not sure why they didn’t go for that. 

(Drifter) John Cowan was the first to build any permanent structure in the area when he erected 5 log cabins. (Gypsie) The population of the town continued to grow and by 1865, 1000 people were living in the area, by mid summer there were roughly 3000 people living there. And it did not slow down from there, by 1867 there were between 4,100 to 7,500 people in the area. Most of the population at that time was made up of men between the ages of 25 to 40. The Four Georgians sold their interest in the mine in 1867 and it was said that (Drifter) “a heavy wagon had to be used to haul their gold dust back to civilization.” 

(Gypsie) Lets give you a bit of a back history on the man that started what is known today as Reeder's Alley. (Drifter) On September 28, 1835 Louis Reeder was born to Mahlon Reeder and Mary Twining Reeder in Penns Park, Pennsylvania. His parents had 7 boys and one girl. His mother passed away on December 8, 1855 at the age of 40. His father then went on to remarry two more times having two more children with his last wife. We could not find anything about Lewis’ life as a child. But in 1867 he packed up and left Pennsylvania to move to Montana. He was not coming here with the intention of being a miner, rather he was a stonemason and felt his trade could be put to good use in a new town like Helena. 

(Gypsie) When he arrived in town he worked with a crew of men building the first permanent Lewis and Clark County courthouse starting in 1867. He saved as much money as he could until he had enough to purchase lots along the hillside of West Cutler Street just above the placer mine that was discovered by the Four Georgians. In 1875 he started construction on several small one bedroom brick apartments and bunkhouses for single miners. They had no running water or electricity but prior to this the men were staying in small log cabins or lean-to’s that provided little to no protection during the harsh winter months. So even though the rooms did not have modern amenities they were far better to stay in. 

(Drifter) By the time he started building in the area the mine had played out and the miners were working in other mines around the area, but the place was still full of log cabins and very few permanent buildings, And the men still needed a place to stay. Side note Roughly 7 million was pulled out of the mine though some sources state 10 million others say 35 million. So thats anywhere from $193M to $967M in todays monies.

(Gypsie) The buildings he constructed are laid out in rows with each room sharing a wall and very few windows were built into them. They were built along a hillside giving the illusion that they are stacked on top of each other. The buildings on the main level were built with false fronts giving off the illusion they were larger than they really were. 

(Drifter) He continued building and adding on to the area creating around 35 housing units, some made of brick and stone as well as a log cabin that was already there and he just built around it. The area soon became known as Reeder’s Alley. Louis didn’t just work on building the Reeder’s Alley into what it is today, he also worked as a stone mason on several buildings around the area, making it possible for more vendors to come to Helena and make a living. 

(Gypsie) On August 27, 1884 the Independent posted an article stating (Drifter) “Badly hurt by falling scaffolding. Louis Reeder, a well known and popular brick and stone mason of this city had his back broken yesterday forenoon by the falling of a scaffolding upon which he was standing, in the upper part of town where some work was being done upon a chimney at a considerable height from the ground. He was removed to the Sisters’ hospital, where he is now receiving the skillful attention of some of our best physicians. His condition is very critical. Later- the injured man died at a late hour last night.” 

(Gypsie) Lewis A. Reeder was buried in the Benton Avenue Cemetery. He has a simple headstone with a square and compass on top meaning not only was he a stone mason but he was a member of the masonic fraternity. Below his name it says born in Pennsylvania September 28, 1835 died Helena Montana August 26, 1884. He was 48 years old when he passed away. He was never married and he did not have any children. After his passing the street began being referred to as Reeder’s Alley. 

(Drifter) Today the alley has several businesses inside of the buildings. You’ll want to stop at the Visit Helena Montana building, here you will get information about areas to explore, they also offer bike rentals if biking is your thing. There is also a barber shop owned by Ms. Dundee Warden who for the past 35 years has been a lady barber. Here you will also find the Reeder’s Alley interpretive and Convention Center. Inside they have a video you can watch that talks about the history of Helena, as well as pictures of the area. 

(Gypsie) The Alley is also home to the Stone House. It is unknown exactly when the house was built but what we do know is the house was there when Louis started building his brick buildings. In the 1910’s the house was known as the Reed Matthews House when George and Laura Duchesnay moved into one of the four apartments in the building. George worked for the Montana Power company and he also collected rent from the people in the Alley. Laura on the other hand stayed home and took care of her birds. She had a great love for yellow canaries and the apartment was full of them. Both George and Laura came to the United States from France. 

(Drifter) Laura became very well known in the Alley not only for her canaries but for her help during prohibition. The story goes that the sheriff used to make moonshine in the mountains not far from the Alley. Once it was ready to be sold he would bring it down and hide it in the floorboards. When it came time to sell the moonshine Laura would bring out her beautiful birds and advertise (Gypsie) “Canary birds for sale: excellent singers!” (Drifter) She used this as a cover up, when the police would come by to see why everyone was lined up at her house she would just tell them they were here to buy a bird from her. Laura lived to be either 55 or 56. It is unknown what day she was born; all her headstone says is 1877. She passed away on February 24, 1933 and was buried at the Forestvale Cemetery in Helena. Her husband George was either 76 or 77 when he passed away in 1940. 

(Gypsie) Prior to being married to Laura, George was married to Jeanne. The two of them were married on June 3, 1910. Jeanne passed away on October 23, 1916 at the age of either 62 or 63. We found it interesting that she is buried in the same cemetery as George and Laura but she shares a headstone with Etienne Lambourg. On the headstone it has Jeanne’s name and it says wife of George Duchesnay 1853-1916. 

(Drifter) In 1961, the building was purchased by three people. They converted the apartments into a restaurant and it stayed in operation into the late 20th century. Restoration began on it again to convert it into part of the Interpretive Center in 2008. While they were removing part of the flooring to put in wiring they discovered two stone walled rooms with a homemade ladder to climb inside. This may very well be where Laura was storing the moonshine. To preserve the history they placed a glass floor over the top of it and you can still see inside today. 

(Gypsie) If you visit the area make sure you wander around and take a look at all the other fun and interesting finds. There were a few reasons that we came to the area. The first is it's the oldest part of Helena, the second is it possibly was the start of the red light district in town. These are two of the many things that draw us to areas and explore so we had to make sure we put it on our stop while we were in town. 

(Drifter) Located by the Alley is the Caretaker’s Cabin. When it was originally built in 1865 there were two cabins. Eventually one of the cabins was torn down to make room for the Alley and the other cabin was expanded onto. The first families to move into the cabin were the Davenport’s. William and Rachel came to the area from Missouri, they left during the civil war. William left his family behind and traveled to Montana to see if it would be a good place for them to live. Once Rachel got word to make the trip west she, as well as their three children boarded a steamboat to Fort Benton. Right before leaving for Montana their six year old son Rice passed away. While on the steamboat the three children got sick with measles. There was no doctor on board and before they even made it to land two year old Willie passed away. Anna, the oldest child, was very sick still while traveling across the plains. She lived until September 6, 1865 and was laid to rest in the Forestvale Cemetery in Helena. The family didn’t stay living in the cabin for long before they moved 75 miles southeast to Diamond City. 

(Gypsie) Some time in the 1880’s, the women working on main street were forced to move and work someplace else. After the Davenport’s moved out, the house was turned into a brothel. The brothel was eventually shut down in 1917. In 1939 Charles and Emma Warren moved into the house and became the full time caretakers of what was now the Pioneer Museum. Several other couples lived in the house taking care of the area and providing tours. It is said that the house may be haunted. Also in front of the cabin is a pear tree. The tree is a cutting from another tree that was brought to Helena by another pioneer. Next to the Caretaker's cabin is the Pioneer Cabin.  

(Drifter) The Pioneer Cabin was built in 1864 by Wilson Butts. He left California after the local gold rush started to play out and came to mine the Last Chance Gulch. He built a small one room cabin but soon that was not enough. The following spring his brother Jonas along with his wife Louanna and three daughters moved to the area and lived in a covered wagon until they built a second cabin. The family lived in the front cabin and Wilson lived in the back cabin. When the family began to struggle to make ends meet Louanna started selling butter to the miners for 2.20 a pound (Gypsie) (nearly $43 per pound today). (Drifter) To keep the butter fresh Louanna would store it underground covered in salt in heavy crocks. Today the national average price per pound of butter is $3.18.

(Gypsie) Wilson never married nor did he have any children. He continued to live in Montana until he passed away on June 12, 1898. He had been suffering from diabetes and weeks prior to his passing he had fallen. He was taken to the hospital in Butte where he remained for a few weeks before passing away. The newspapers report his estate at a value of 12,000 dollars (Drifter) (Almost $440K today). (Gypsie) He was laid to rest in the Fish Creek Cemetery. 

(Drifter) Wilson’s brother Jonas was married to Louana on October 12, 1847. As we mentioned they had three daughters, Sarah Ann, Derinda Jane, and Arminda Ellen. Jonas lived until he was either 44 or 45 and passed away on June 15, 1873. He too is buried in the Fish Creek Cemetery. Louanna, the woman who helped the family by selling butter lived until she was 57 and passed away on February 3, 1884. She is buried by her husband in the Fish Creek Cemetery. 

(Gypsie) The next family to live in the cabin was Stephen and Luella Gilpatrick. They welcomed their first son shortly after moving in. Luella brought with her two locust seedlings all the way from Wisconsin. When she planted them in front of the cabin the neighbors didn’t think they would live. Today you can see off shoots from the tree and the stumps of what would become the first known trees transplanted in the area.  

(Drifter) Stephen and Luella were married on January 1, 1867 in Lewis and Clark County. They were also the first couple to have their marriage recorded in the county records.  They had 4 sons and all four lived well into their adult years. Only one son stayed living in Montana, the other three moved away. Stephen served as sheriff of Lewis and Clark county from 1882 to 1884.

(Gypsie) In 1938 the cabin was purchased by the Last Chance Gulch Restoration Association. A little side note, The Association was started by Former Montana First Lady, Grace Erickson, and several women were a part of it with her. They worked hard to restore the area and it is now the Pioneer Cabin Museum. They  maintained it and the grounds until it was given to the State of Montana in 2005. In order to get the area ready to open up as a museum the women worked for months clearing out debris. Inside you will see several artifacts that were found during the cleanup of the area or donated to them from family members. 

(Drifter) There was another cabin in the area that is no longer standing today but worth talking about as they were a part of the first families to settle the area. William and Jeannette Parkinson arrived in the summer of 1865 from St. Joseph Missouri. Jeannette came from a wealthy family and was 17 years old when she married 52 year old William in 1862. As a wedding gift Jeannette was given a very fancy carriage from her father. It had sterling silver appointments and plate glass mirrors. She had two thoroughbreds to pull it with. This outfit cost a total of 1,000 dollars (Gypsie) (Around $30K today). (Drifter) She used this to travel to Montana, first settling in Virginia City then to Helena. Like the other two families, the Parkinson’s did not stay long before they moved. By late 1865 they had a house built for them on Pine Street. It was the first frame house in the new settlement. 

(Gypsie) On the other side of the Caretaker’s Cabin is the Yee Wau cabin. The cabin was built around 1870 and it is known that from 1876-1886 the Yee Wau Brothers lived there. The two of them ran a grocery store in the area. The cabin is the only Chinese associated building still standing in Helena. During the time the brothers were working there, 20 percent of the population in Lewis and Clark was made up of Chinese. Most of them did the laundry and ran small businesses, like restaurants, and grocery stores. Today the cabin is private property owned by Dr. Victoria Homer. She raised her children in the cabin and continues to maintain it as well as the land it sits on. 

(Drifter) During the 1880’s the area north of the pioneer cabin was full of houses of ill repute. In 1885 the city passed a law that prostitutes were no longer allowed to be employed on Main Street. So the gals moved to Clover Street at the entrance of Reeder’s Alley. By 1890 roughly 22 women were working and living in the area. Like most mining towns that had a red light district the Chinese settlements were not far from them. It is very possible that is why the Yee Wau brothers set up shop there. Back then, a working gal would rely on the noodle parlors for cheap and hardy meals. The ladies would also go to the Chinese for laundry services as well as medical needs. In 1892 a large two story brick building was built along Clover Street and according to the Sanborn maps was labeled as Japanese Female Boarding. The building is no longer standing today. 

(Gypsie) When we went to visit the area we took Howie street to get there. This gave us the ability to see the really awesome Morelli Bridge but it also made it so we could not easily find a place to park. If you go to the area you will want to take Park Ave there. Then you will be able to find a large parking lot and easily walk to the Alley. But do make sure you go see the Morelli Bridge. Construction for it began in the early 1890’s and it was first called the Howie Street Bridge. The cost for the bridge quickly exceeded the budget and a stop was put to it. In 1893 when the cost of silver dropped, several people were out of work. The city decided to start construction of the bridge back up so they could provide jobs. Several men came together to complete the job and in late 1893 it was completed. The bridge provided a bypass of the congested industrial area of Last Chance Gulch and soon residents began building in the area. 

(Drifter) The stone for the bridge came from the Jacob Adami quarry and Swiss stonemason Carlo Morelli came up with the idea to build the three stone supports. Once it was completed it was renamed Morelli bridge in his honor. Timber was placed along the top of the supports and in the 1980’s it had to be replaced. The bridge is 96 feet long and 22 feet wide. It is the oldest timber bridge still in use in Montana. Carlo lived to be 51 or 52 when he passed away on September 19, 1910. He was laid to rest in the Resurrection Cemetery. He does not have a headstone marking his grave. 

(Gypsie) Carlo was married to Virginia Vassalli on April 23, 1891 in Helena. The two of them had three sons, Frank, Charles, and William. Virginia was born on November 11, 1865 in Switzerland and came to the United States in 1891. She lived to be 71, passing away on March 13, 1937. She shares a headstone with her son Charles. He passed away almost three months after his mother on June 4, 1937. He had undergone surgery for appendicitis on May 26 and though we could not find his exact cause of death we wonder if he passed away from complications from the surgery. While trying to find information on Charles I came across an article in the Montana Standard that said Frank, Charles’ brother, owned a Studebaker dealership in Butte called Parker and Morelli Motor Company. 

(Drifter) In October 1935 the town of Helena was hit with three major earthquakes. Several areas of Helena were destroyed by this and Reeder’s Alley was one of them. Thankfully it only ruined a few of the buildings and they were able to repair the rest of them. Over time the apartments were used as low income housing but by the 1950’s the city was looking into tearing down the buildings. In 1959 three women, Pat Boedecker, Eileen Harper and Jane Tobin got together and started purchasing several of the vacant buildings. They then got to work clearing them out and renovating them. Eventually the last of the tenants moved out and the women were able to purchase the rest of the buildings. 

(Gypsie) By 1962 they had updated several of the buildings and started offering one year free rent to women artists in exchange they had to clean up other units. Soon several artists began moving to the area and setting up shop. The women maintained the area until 1974 when they sold it. The alley transferred ownership several times after that until 2001 when Kathy and Darrell Gustin donated it to the State of Montana. It is free to visit the alley as well as the museums. We unfortunately did not get to go inside any of the cabins or buildings but it was amazing to get to walk around the area and experience the history. 

(Drifter) Alrighty folks, I think that wraps up our adventure to one more historic red light district. Do you have one of your famous Gypsie Dad Jokes?

(Gypsie) What rock group has four famous men, but none of them sing? Mt. Rushmore

(Drifter) Alright then. Thank you all so very much for joining us and supporting the Rebel At Large adventure podcast. As alway’s, if we're active at all, we’re most active on the Instagram (Gypsie) @rebelatlarge. You can find links to our email, patreon, merch store in the show notes and on any of our social deals. (Drifter) We’ll talk to ya here in a couple of weeks, (Gypsie) Safe Travels, (Drifter) We’ll see ya down the road.

Begin 30 seconds of the same uplifting Rock/Western tune as the introduction.