She arrived in New York City in 1873. Unable to find legitimate work, she headed west to seek her fortune in the mining camps and ended up in the mining community of Murray, Idaho.
Eventually she met a man by the name of Burdan, fell in love and married. Her new husband was from a wealthy family and, fearing their disapproval of his marriage, he kept it secret. He'd never worked a day in his life and never intended to.
Burdan pushed his new bride to change her name to Molly and introduced her to a life of prostitution. He had a serious gambling problem and had Molly sleep with his debtors to pay off his debts. For this Molly was excommunicated from the Catholic Church. Feeling she was damned forever, she continued her new occupation and left her husband. She boarded a train and headed West.
In San Francisco, she read of a gold strike in Idaho and caught a pack train to the mining community of Murray. Along the way they were caught in a blizzard. One woman and her child could not keep up with the others and fell behind. Molly stayed to help and they spent a cold, snowy night on the trail. The news of her mercy reached Murray before her. Upon arrival, she received a hero’s welcome.
It was during this time her new name was bestowed upon her. An Irishman approached her and asked her name. With her own Irish accent on her former husbands’ name he thought she said "Molly b'Dam" and the name stuck.
Shortly thereafter, Molly's profession became public knowledge and when she asked for "cabin number one.” she got it. (In a mining town this was the name usually given for the red light district’s madams’ residence.) She liked Murray and vice versa. She treated her working girls well and could be counted on to help anyone in need.
There are many stories of Molly's contributions to the town. Perhaps she will be most remembered for the invaluable aid she dispensed when a Smallpox epidemic hit Murray in 1886. Molly never contracted the disease. Rather it was her untiring efforts to help those who did that lead to her death. She died of consumption, a disease with no cure.
She died on 17 January 1888 from complications of tuberculosis. The town gave her a simple but elegant funeral with thousands of people coming to pay their respects. On her tombstone in the Murray Cemetery it states simply: "Sacred to the life of Maggi Hall, Molly B'Dam". Her life became legend in Murray and the Coeur d' Alene mining district. Many locals still remember the lady and her dedication and commitment to the citizens of Murray. Many still refer to her as "The patron saint of Murray.”
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