SF Throwbacks
These San Francisco streets were named after prostitutes
Sex workers from the 1800s inspired some names for San Francisco’s walkable alleys and scenic drives.
This article is part of SF Throwbacks, a feature series that tells historic stories of San Francisco to teach us all more about our city’s past.
By Davy Carren
Everyone knows the shortest alley in San Francisco is Balance Place, and of course Vermont Street is the crookedest. The steepest grade? Bradford Street.
But what about that old tale you might’ve heard from a drunk companion late one night that some San Francisco streets were actually named after Barbary Coast-era prostitutes? I’m sure we’ve all heard someone’s version of this and wondered about its veracity, as apocryphal stories about The City’s red-light district and lascivious past abound.
Let’s get lost in this for a moment:
You live in San Francisco — no, not today’s San Francisco, but one from the late 19th century. One that’s filled with dead-falls, cow-yards, waterfront wine dumps, bawdy shows with hoochey-coochey dances, low-cut blouses and high-cut skirts; where smoke-filled saloons reek of stale beer, damp sawdust, and unwashed humanity.
There’s mud in the streets. Horse shit is ubiquitous. Everyone is drinking Pisco in the saloons. Men greatly outnumber women. Shanghai is a verb. And, most importantly to our concerns here, a bevy of parlor houses are run by indomitable Madams, their harlotry-practicing employees the aristocracy of the famed red-light district.
The most popular names used by prostitutes of the era were Rose, Daisy, Martha, and Leah. But it’s highly unlikely that any of these ladies used their real name while plying their trade, so their fame would not have stretched into any of history’s annals.
I’m not saying that there wasn’t ever a prostitute in San Francisco during the Barbary Coast days named Dolores or Cecilia or Gladys, but it’s doubtful those particular streets are actually named after them. Though the well-worn myth that San Francisco streets are named after famous prostitutes is likely just that — a myth — it is still very possible that a few of our legendary city’s streets do share some history with the much more famous Madams. The ones who owned parlor houses that employed up to 20 “parlor girls” under one roof. They raked in enormous profits, and many retired with fortunes.
Almost all of the Barbary Coast parlor houses were operated by women; women who wielded great power and amassed fortunes in an era when most women had little of either. They were famous in their day, these “Mistresses of the Parlors,” who were always called “Miss” by their working girls but whom the customers respectfully addressed as “Madam.” It was a point of pride to be referred to as a Madam.
In a broader context — and not just in our city — streets are mostly named after politicians, important and famous people, or trees. San Francisco has its share: Washington, Polk, Pine. But there are a few other folks of a bit more salacious lore whose names might adorn those black-on-white Highway Gothic lettered signs:
Bertha Lane
Madam Bertha was large, robust, and had an excellent set of pipes, which she used to famously shout, “Company, girls!” in her booming contralto when visitors arrived at her parlor on Sacramento Street. In the 1870s, her place was not only the most famous bordello in San Francisco, but it was also frequented by the city’s upper-crust society men because of her “refined and genteel manner” of conducting business.
She had signs posted in every bedroom reading: “No vulgarity allowed in this establishment.” Bertha’s parlor even had an expensive organ, on which she was apparently very skillful and played tunes for guests while the harlots sang along. And to top if off, many of her regulars had charge accounts with her. (Imagine some well-to-do genteel john telling a prostitute to, “Put it on my tab.”) There is a street in Hunter’s Point called Bertha Lane; I like to think this is a nod to her.
Lucy Street
Also in Hunter’s Point, this road is one I’ve come to believe was named in honor of a Madam Lucy, who in the 1890s famously nailed a copper plate to her door that was engraved: “Madame Lucy. Ye Olde Whore Shoppe.” As one might expect, it attracted a lot of attention. Her fame was more of the pan’s flash, and it didn’t last for long, but people would’ve remembered her sign stunt for quite a while. So, yes, I’ll say Lucy Street is paying its respects to the Madam.
Maiden Lane
Unfortunately, Maiden Lane was not named for the “maidens” who used to to line its cribs in those early days when it was called Morton. The fact that it’s quaintly called Maiden Lane today is quite contrary to its actual reputation back then, as these Morton Street cribs were the lowest of the low in the red-light district, and the most popular. The women were said to be “extraordinarily rowdy and depraved,” and cops rarely went near. It’s still an apt name for the street, and I’d like to think it honors the likes of Iodoform Kate and Rotary Rosie who once plied their salacious trade there.
Other likely streets
- Jessie Street could have been named after Jessie Hayman — also known as Diamond Jessie — who rose to fame after inheriting a known “lodging house” in the late 1800s from her mentor, Nina Hayman.
- Minna Street shares some relation to Minnie “Minna” Rae Simpson, a pre-teen prostitute who became an orphan at the age of nine.
Cora Street might have something to do with Bella Cora, who was a famous madam in the very early gold rush days, but it’s also possible it was the surname of her lover Charles they were thinking of when they named it, as he was famously hung to death in the streets in front of a giant crowd. He had killed a man who had insulted Bella, so I guess this one could hold some water, or Pisco, if you will.
Although she doesn’t have a street named after her, I’d be remiss to omit Madam Gabrielle of the happily named Lovely Flea, and the notoriously vile Red Rooster run by Madam Lazarene, who was one of the first Madams to install peep-holes in her rooms. But most of all I wish San Francisco had a street named Matilda, honoring the 1890s prostitute, Big Matilda, who was famous for her business cards, which — this is absolutely true — read: “Big Matilda, 300 pounds of black passion. Hours: All hours. Rates: 50c each: Three for 1 dollar.” Maybe people could lobby for a name change to one of the city’s many streets named after rich white dudes?
For better or worse, prostitution flourished in San Francisco for over 60 years. Perhaps a little celebration of some of its more iconic, eccentric characters should be called for. I mean, who wouldn’t want to take a stroll down Matilda Lane, and imagine the commemorative plaque they could make for it.
Davy Carren is an Oakland-based writer.
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The Bold Italic is not the first to cover San Francisco street names inspired by women and sex workers. Here are some other stories we invite you to read by our local publication colleagues, by order of appearance:
Broke-Ass Stuart —
SF Gate —
FoundSF —
KQED —
SF Standard —
