Under the vigilant eyes of Madame Ginger, the working girls of The Oasis grabbed what they could carry and left everything else behind. Their departure marked a sudden and unexpected end to prostitution in Wallace.
The year was For the next five years, until being sold in , The Oasis was locked up and undisturbed. He realized almost immediately that he had a ready-made museum on his hands. And the Oasis Bordello Museum was born. It goes without saying that, in , prostitution in America was completely illegal, even in out-of-the-way Wallace, Idaho. As such, she was popular with locals and could even call upon the law for assistance, when needed.
For all intents and purposes, The Oasis was a legitimate business⦠and what a business it was! With five girls working sixteen-hour shifts, profits were estimated to clear a million a year. But there were other variations; you could go up to an hour, have a bubble bath, or purchase extra positions. The basic fare only included missionary. The tour was compelling, often hilarious, occasionally sad and completely surprising.
We saw where they bathed, where they ate and, of course, where they worked. When the Feds finally left, times had changed and bordellos were no longer a welcome enterprise in Wallace. Holy smokes! Madame Ginger was a big supporter of the local community and also helped the Wallace High School. The school insisted to have a uniform submitted to the museum to show their appreciation.
Thanks for the great post. I grew up in Wallace, and I was in the fifth grade when the feds raided the town. Only 19 in but had a car. We were all under 20 years old and I was still a virgin. Knocked on the door of the Oasis at street level and we were allowed to come upstairs. I think all of us were virgins.
