Life Along Suds Row

Family life for enlisted men in the United States Army on the frontier was rare. Regulations barred new recruits from having a wife or child, and no soldier could marry without his commanding officer’s permission. That permission was seldom granted unless the prospective wife would work for the Army as a laundress. On this side of the street stood the remnants of eleven 18-by-20-foot apartments, where married sergeants, corporals, and privates lived in one-room homes with their wives and children, while a second set of enlisted quarters sat on the next block. Because these wives were carried on the roster as laundresses, their homes became known as Suds Row. Army laundresses were allowed for each company and were entitled to the same quarters, fuel, and rations as a soldier, along with established pay for washing soldiers’ and officers’ clothing. They came from many walks of life, and like the soldiers of the frontier Army, many came from outside the United States, including Germany, Mexico, Ireland, and England. Each laundress washed clothes for about 19 soldiers.

New Mexico · United States