Seeing Red

In The Dalles, travel by foot, wagon, canoe, and horseback helped "civilization" take root and created demand for lumber, horses, foodstuffs, and the company of "ladies of negotiable affection." Many of these women were housed in local watering holes until prohibition changed how business was conducted, after which entry relied on the phrase, "Knock twice and tell'em Joe sent you!" Because the women often traveled lightly and left their true identities and pasts behind, the full story of this sisterhood can never be told. Red dots in second-story windows identify former houses at sites including the Gates Hotel at 308 Union Street, the Palm Garden/Lemke Building at 110 E. 2nd St., the Commodore Hotel at 312 Court Street, the Oak Hotel at 200 E. 2nd Street, Baldwin Saloon at 205 Court St., the Bank/Albert Hotel at 209 E. 2nd St., the Washington Hotel-Model Laundry at 1st and Washington streets, the Honald Building at 400 W. 2nd St., and the Skibbe Tourist Hotel at 624 E. 2nd St.

The Dalles, Oregon · United States