Prostitutes Ferry Pass
In the bustling port city of 19th-century New Orleans, authorities implemented a unique regulatory system for sex workers operating across river districts. The Prostitutes Ferry Pass emerged as an official document permitting holders to legally traverse the Mississippi via designated ferries between sunset and dawn. These laminated cards featured engraved municipal seals, worker aliases, physical descriptions, and expiration dates renewed monthly upon medical inspection.
Economic and Social Implications
Each Prostitutes Ferry Pass cost the equivalent of two days’ wages, creating a significant financial barrier while generating municipal revenue. Riverboat captains retained manifests listing authorized pass-holders, denying passage to unlicensed individuals. Enforcement patrols monitored docking zones, imposing heavy fines or imprisonment for counterfeit passes. This system inadvertently established the first concentrated red-light districts near ferry terminals, where taverns and boarding houses catered specifically to this workforce.
Controversial Legacy
Critics denounced the passes as exploitative taxation targeting vulnerable populations, while reformers argued they reduced violence against isolated streetwalkers. The program dissolved during the 1890s moral purity campaigns, though surviving passes remain prized by collectors. Modern scholars debate whether these artifacts represent pragmatic harm reduction or institutionalized oppression, with several preserved specimens displayed at the Riverfront History Museum alongside ferry company ledgers detailing transport fees.
Archival Discoveries
Recent excavations near former dockyards uncovered fragmented pass casings, revealing weatherproofing techniques using cotton pulp and whale oil glaze. Cross-referenced with census data, these findings indicate approximately 300 women held active passes during peak operations in 1873.
*TAGS* – 19th century river regulations, New Orleans sex work history, Mississippi ferry permits, historical red-light districts, municipal vice taxation
