Social Evil Hospital

"This institution was for many years known as the Social Evil Hospital, and was erected in 1873, under the mayoralty of Hon. Joseph Brown, from a fund gathered under the provisions of the, now repealed, Social Evil Law. It is a handsome brick structure, costing over $100,000, and situated outside the city limits, at the intersection of the Manchester and Arsenal Roads. It was first used exclusively for the care and treatment of social outcasts, who, under the social evil law, were taxed for its support. Since the repeal of this law, which proved obnoxious to many of our citizens, it has been used as a female hospital exclusively, for the treatment of all the indigent and poor female sick of the city, from whatever disease or accident they may suffer. Dr. P. V. Schenck is the resident physician."

The image on the left depicts the various hospitals located on Arsenal Street, west of Kingshighway. The one with the dome is still intact. The building across the street was the "Social Evil Hospital".

In early 1870 the city of St. Louis legalized prostitution as a means to regulate it. A revised "Social Evil" ordinance was passed in June of 1871 which allowed for the construction of a separate hospital for the prostitutes. The Social Evil Hospital was opened in the fall of 1872. Due to its critics (from brothels to the religious), the city council nullified the Social Evil Ordinance in April 1874. In June of 1875 an ordinance was passed whose aim was to suppress, not regulate, prostitution. It was soon renamed the Female Hospital.

The building was razed in 1915.

I recently came across the intake records from May 1876 (presumably the start of the new ordinance) where the majority of patients were not prostitutes, but normal female patients in need of health care. To show the apparent rebirth of the use of the hospital, the ledger starts with patient one.

I've completed the transcription of the first hundred patients. I've left out some of the more salient items in the ledger. If you find someone of interest let me know and I'll send you the full record.

No.	Last Name	First	Age	Nativity	Condition	Occupation	Admission

1	Young,	Mary	20	U. S.	Married	Servant	May 1876
2	Wheeler,	Janine	26	U. S.		Servant	May 1876
3	Raymond,	Lizzie	28	U. S.	Widow	Seamstress	May 1876
4	Gre??,	Lizzie	22	U. S.		Servant	May 1876
5	King,	Annie	17	England	Single	Social Evil	May 1876
6	Franklin,	Mary E.	45	U. S.		Servant	May 1876
7	Gibson,	Ellen	33	U. S.			May 1876
8	Kimble,	Mary	32	Ireland	Single	Servant	May 1876
9	Farmer?,	Caroline	30	U. S.		Seamstress	May 1876
10	Grote,	Lizzie	21	U. S.	Single	Servant	May 1876
11	Farrell,	Mary	41	U. S.	Widow	Servant	May 1876
12	Brown,	Lydia	22	U. S.		Servant	May 1876
13	Ca???,	Anne	23	U. S.		Social Evil	May 1876
14	Misker?,	Mary	16	Ireland		Nurse	May 1876
15	Bolom,	Mary	32	Ireland		Servant	May 1876
16	????,	Mary	20	U. S.		Social Evil	May 1876
17	Johnson,	Maggie	18	U. S.		Servant	May 1876
18	Wool,	Louise	20	U. S.	Single	Servant	May 1876
19	Roland,	Kate	19	U. S.	Single	Servant	May 1876
20	Harrison,	Mary	28	U. S.		Social Evil	May 1876
21	Donald,	Hattie	36	U. S.		Servant	May 1876
23	G??g??,	Annie	21	U. S.	?	Servant	May 1876
24	Gonde?,	Agnes		Scotland		Cook	May 1876
25	R????y, & child	Mattie	35	U.S	Married	Housewife	May 1876
26	R????y,	John	3	U. S.	Single	??????	May 1876
27	Finn?,	Kate	33	Ireland			May 1876
28	?ean,	??ollie	22	U. S.	Widow	Housewife	May 1876
29	Lawlor,	Maggie	23	Ireland		Servant	May 1876
30	P????,	Adeline	21	U. S.		Servant	May 1876
31	Nelson,	Emma	18	U. S.		Social Evil	May 1876
32	Ray?,	Maggie	23	U. S.	Single	Social	May 1876
33	Grewes,	Sallie	24	U. S.	Single	Servant	May 1876
34	Crowley,	Mary	45	Ireland	Widow	Servant	May 1876
35	Kennen,	Mary	25	Ireland	Single	Servant	May 1876
36	Clifton,	Nancy	40	U. S.	Single	Workerwoman	May 1876
37	Healy,	Sarah A.	19	U. S.	Widow	Servant	May 1876
38	Caddle,	Alice	60	Ireland		Servant	May 1876
39	Komen,	Ellen	40?	Ireland	Widow	Servant	May 1876
40	Nugent,	Bridget	34	Ireland		Housewife	May 1876
41	Franklin,	Bella	40	U. S.		Nihil	May 1876
42	Lee,	Sophia	20	U. S.		Servant	May 1876
43	?????ann,	Emma	22	Germany		Cigar Maker	May 1876
44	Hickem,	Johanna	36	Ireland	Married		May 1876
45	Mulloy,	Bridget	40	Ireland	Widow	Laundress	May 1876
46	Buchanan,	Anna	35	Ireland		Housewife	May 1876
47	Hopkins,	Susan	22	U. S.	Single	Prostitute	May 1876
48	Williams,	Charity	30	U. S.	Single	Servant	May 1876
49	Co?e?t,	Minnie	23	U. S.		Servant	May 1876
50	Riede,	Anne	21	U. S.		Social Evil	May 1876
51	Duvul?,	Callamine	58	U. S.		Servant	May 1876
52	Wheeler?	Maude	22	U. S.	Single		May 1876
53	Stearns?	Emma	34	U. S.	Single	Prostitute	May 1876
54	Leach	Laura	18	U. S.		Prostitute	May 1876
55	Brown	Josephine	34	U. S.	Widow	Servant	May 1876
56	Brown	Maude	3		Single	Nihil	May 1876
57	Hendricks	Dorothea	38	Germany	Widow	Housewife	May 1876
58	Allen	Margie	27	U. S.		Prostitute	May 1876
59	Purcell?	Ellen	24	Ireland		Workerwoman	May 1876
60	Turner?	Nettie	20	U. S.		Servant	May 1876
61	Kern	Mellie	20	U. S.	Single	Prostitute	May 1876
62	Koele?	Louisa	40	Germany	Married	Housewife	May 1876
63	Robinson	Mary	25	U. S.	Widow	Nihil	May 1876
64	Roberts	A. V.	27	U. S.	Married	Canvasser	May 1876
65	Anderson	Belle	?7	U. S.	Single	Prostitute	May 1876
66	Willis	Din??	20	U. S.		Servant	March 1876
67	Ma????	Anne	60	Ireland		Peddler	May 1876
68	Slater	Lillie	18	U. S.		Prostitution	May 1876
69	Small	?dea	53	U. S.		?? B.	May 1876
70	Murphy	Mrs.	39	Ireland	Married	Laundress	May 1876
71	Po????	Mary	30	Germany		Workerwoman	May 1876
73	Flannigan?	Mary	24	Ireland		Servant	May 1876
74	Henley	Ellen	28	Ireland	Widow	Housekeeper	May 1876
75	Henley	Hannah?	4	U. S.	Single	Nihil	May 1876
76	Dixon?	Dollie	19	U. S.		Prostitute	May 1876
77	La????	Maggie	23	Ireland			May 1876
78	Sweeny?	Annie	31	Ireland	Widow	Laundress	May 1876
79	Smith	Annie	28	England		Prostitute	May 1876
80	Franklin	Mary E.	??	U. S.		Servant	May 1876
81	Nash	Johanna	45	Ireland	Widow	Cook	June 1876
82	Heck	Eliza	17	U. S.	Single	Servant	June 1876
83	Hess	Nellie	26	U. S.	Single	Servant	June 1876
84	O'Sullivan	Ann	29	Ireland			June 1876
85	Doyle	Anne	19	U. S.	Single	Prostitute	June 1876
86	Barto?	Clara	20	U. S.		Social Evil	June 1876
87	Headley	Susan	32	England	Married	Servant	June 1876
88	Jacobs?	Mary	47	Germany	Widow	Servant	June 1876
89	Jones?	Lizzie	19	U. S.	Single	Servant	June 1876
90	Hood	Martha	18	U. S.	Single	Servant	June 1876
91	Thompson?	Jess?	25	U. S.	Single	Servant	June 1876
92	Coulet?	Eliza	30	Ireland	Single	Servant	June 1876
93	Meier	Caroline	25	Switzerland	Single	Servant	June 1876
94	Smith	Ada & baby	16	U. S.		Prostitute	June 1876
95	Warne?	Mary	26	U. S.	Single	Prostitute	June 1876
96	Hillman	Tillie	29	U. S.	Widow	Servant	June 1876
97	Ruff???	Christina	17	U. S.	Single	Servant	June 1876
98	Holtman?	Barbara	17	U. S.	Single	Servant	June 1876
99	Lang	Mary Magdelena	47	England	Married	Housewife	June 1876
100	Lefe???	Mary E.	35	U. S.	Widow	???	June 1876
101	?????	Nancy	25	U. S.	Widow	Servant	June 1876