The Legal Language of Sex: Interpreting a Prostitution Hierarchy Using the Terminology of Criminal Charges

Sex workers across the United States found steady business during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and those in Fargo, North Dakota, were no exception. “Houses of ill fame” provided a euphemistic yet unquestionable name for the residences and businesses of many madams and prostitutes involved in Fargo’s historical sex trade. However, brothel prostitution was not the only form of sex work that followed the emerging frontier; streetwalking and other independent forms of prostitution offered a livelihood that was more flexible, though less lucrative, for many sex workers. This research explores the hierarchical structure of prostitution in Fargo and