Jan MacKell Collins - Good Time Girls of California: A Red-Light History of the Golden State

Jan MacKell Collins has been a published author, speaker, and presenter since 2003. Her focus has always been on Western history, with an emphasis on historical prostitution. Collins has published numerous articles on her subjects in such magazines as True West, Montana Magazine, All About History, and numerous regional periodicals. In 2016, she appeared on the television show Adam Ruins Everything as an expert in historical prostitution. Collins currently resides in Oregon, where she continues researching the history of prostitution.

Having grown up in Southern California, I have been infatuated with the red-light ladies of the Golden State for quite some time. One of my fondest memories was the discovery of an image from the 1900s of a girl seated on a table in a skimpy outfit. This was in the 1970s at an antiques store in Julian. The young ladys cheerful, almost laughing face intrigued me. I think I paid a whole dollar for the picture, which I still have today. In my naivet back then, I assumed she was a happy-go-lucky Coca-Cola girl or some such. But as I learned more about historical prostitution as a teenager, I came to see that I was quite wrong.

When my editor, Erin Turner, talked with me of writing a book about Californias red-light history, I was elated. I have always loved Californias intriguing history, from the days of the ranchos, to my 1960s childhood in Pasadena, to my beach-going days in San Diego, Laguna Beach, and Dana Point. Even when I visit today, certain sights and smells bring memories of my time there flooding back. Researching this book has been quite satisfying. It has reminded me of the ice plant and ivy-enveloped overpasses along the freeways. And the front yards and honeysuckle-filled back alleys of my childhood. I recall the sweet, musty smell of the house my godmother, Irene Smith, lived in. Irene was quite the party girl of yesteryear. Her first job was selling encyclopedias from her car with a girlfriend. After caring for her ailing mother in San Diego, she went to work at the Hotel del Coronado as a waitress. She married twicefirst to a gambler and, after he died, to my godfather, Parker. She wound up a cheerful, sweet, and fun little old lady from Pasadena. My mother and I always wondered if Irene was a good time girl herself, but having no proof of that, I am satisfied with thanking her for encouraging me and inspiring me in my writing.

Other memories manifest from our backyard in San Diego, which connected to that of my oldest friend, Lanette Wray. Together, Lanette and I played out dozens of pretend scenarios in our yards and on her back porch, and they were often historic in nature. We faithfully watched Little House on the Prairie, spooked around the haunted Whaley House of Old Town, and immersed ourselves in history much more than other girls our age. Our own family histories intrigued us too, and it is little wonder that we both continue to love history today. I dont think I would have fallen so in love with stories of the past if it hadnt been for Lanette.

Of course, I have my parents to thank too. My familys vacations always revolved around visiting historic places, driving down dusty back roads and scouting out ghost towns. When we first visited Bodie in 1973, I simply fell in love with the history of the place and especially Rosa May, the legendary harlot whom so many love reading and writing about today. It has been some decades since I left California, but each time I visit I discover something new about the shady ladies of the West Coast. Most recently, my husband and I spent some time in Trinidad, just south of the Oregon border, where I learned about a good time girl known only as Cockeyed Florence. And, I am indebted to Joshua Lindsey and his gang at Emerald Forest RV & Cabins for allowing me to entertain them with stories and take time off work to do radio interviews at Humboldt State Universitys KHSU.

On a more scholarly level, I want to thank Lynn Zelem, my new production editor who has carefully gone over my manuscript. Another thank you goes to Bill Holland, former mayor of Powers, Oregon, for lending me B. A. Botkins A Treasury of Western Folklore. This sweet treasure of a book contained some great stories about Californias early years. Also, Professor Jay Moynahan was, as usual, invaluable, and provided me with materials on Sacramento, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Diego, the gold camps, and so many other places. His research is simply stellar. Thank you too to author Sherry Monahan whose awesome new book, California Madams, came out just in time to provide some needed clues as I began my research. Thanks also to Adam Conover, who invited me to be his guest on his show Adam Ruins Everything, when it was filmed at the historic Paramount Ranch in Santa Monicawhich tragically burned in 2018. Thank you too to Nancy Degnan, who believes in me as both a friend and business partner. My weird stuff-o-meter went into the red when I found out she lived in a former brothel on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, and I feel lucky that such unseen forces always seem to keep me in tune with my good time girls.

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Best, Hillyer.