Prostitutes Centennial

For decades, Denver’s Market Street was the center of the city’s sex trade. Prostitutes Centennial marks the history of Denver’s sex trade, centered on Market Street. By the 1890s, city leaders forced prostitutes into restricted districts.

The Push for Restricted Districts

Denver’s city leaders began forcing prostitutes into restricted districts, known as red-light districts. This attempt to regulate and isolate the trade was common in cities across the country at the time. Denver’s approach mirrored national trends in urban vice control during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Colorado’s Licensed Brothel Era

After 1940, Colorado took a different path. Instead of widespread street prostitution or hidden brothels, the state allowed counties to license brothels if they chose. This created a system where sporting women worked legally in specific, licensed establishments within certain counties, a unique situation that lasted for decades. This regulated system became a defining feature of Colorado’s approach to prostitution.

*TAGS* – Market Street prostitution, Denver red-light districts, Colorado licensed brothels