Mary Welch ~ "Chicago Joe"

Mary Welch (later known as Josephine Hensley) was born in Ireland in 1844. She emigrated to New York in 1858 and changed her name to Josephine Airey.

Bored with a menial job she held in New York, Josephine moved to Chicago and took up prostitution. In 1867, she left Chicago and headed west to the newly established gold mining town of Helena, Montana. There she opened a hurdy-gurdy house, which quickly became a success due to its appeal to the local miners. She soon expanded her business.

A fire in 1874 provided Josephine with an opportunity to buy up property from those who couldn't afford to build. This made her the richest landowner on Wood Street. She also owned the "Grand", a large brothel on the corner of State and Joliet Streets.

In 1878, she married James T. Hensley and became known as "Chicago Joe". The Hensleys built a stone, fire-proof dance hall as well as the "Red Light Saloon". Josephine rented her numerous properties to other businesses, making her the most influential landowner in Helena. Her wealth and influence enabled her to donate to charities and political campaigns.

The Hensleys later built a large vaudeville-style variety theater called "The Coliseum". Due to its rich furnishings and the beautiful girls Josephine hired to perform, it was very successful. Josephine was famed for her lavish style of dress, lifestyle and the parties she and her husband regularly gave.

Although prostitution was legal in the United States at this time, there was still much controversy surrounding Josephine's business practices. An article in 1884 claimed that Josephine had tricked girls into leaving Chicago to come work for her brothels; the idea being she told them they would be working in a hotel, but never specified what, exactly, their job would be. This allegation was false, but Josephine was known for paying the fare from Chicago to Helena, which essentially meant she was importing employees.

In January 1883, she placed a notice in Helena's newspaper, the Daily Independent, ordering local saloon owners and gambling houses not to serve her husband liquor, allow him to gamble or loan him money on pain of prosecution. On 24 December 1883 she advertised that she was holding a Grand Masquerade Ball at the "Red Light Saloon" and issued invitations to all the citizens of Helena.

In 1885 legislators in Montana passed a law that made her hurdy gurdy house illegal. Josephine's attorney was able to keep her out of legal troubles, but she was forced to reorganize her business and be less prominent in town. After a few years, she re-opened "The Coliseum" and converted part of the building into a brothel. The Coliseum began to lose its popularity in 1890, as Helena became more respectable. I

At the height of her success Josephine owned the Red Light Saloon, The Grand Bordello, The Coliseum Variety Theater and various other businesses in town, at one point making her the largest landholder in the entire Red Light district. The buildings she owned were not shacks, but large event centers that could host parties as well as serve their intended purposes. For example, the Coliseum cost Josephine over $30,000 to build in the 1880s.

In the final years of her life, Josephine lived under meager conditions, the glory of her early days, being dried up in the panic of 1893. She lived the last years of her life in a room above the Red Light Saloon, which she managed to hold onto.

Josephine died of pneumonia on 25 October 1899. The citizens of Helena gave her a magnificent funeral with many speeches praising her accomplishments. Her death saddened the community and made front-page news. Her generosity was noted and she was buried in the cemetery at a Catholic church.