Let’s begin with saloons. Aqua Vitae by Glen A. Mofford (2016, TouchWood Editions) describes the numerous saloons that once graced Victoria primarily downtown between 1851 and 1917. Not all drinking establishments were raunchy, but some, such as the Pony Saloon on Government Street, were more flagrant and rowdy than others. Assault and robbery were common in the back alleys, and at one point, someone died and the “body was disposed of in a most undignified manner,” along with its decimated skull, under the floorboards. It remains a cold case to this day, but may have had something to do with a red-haired lady.
As buildings went up on Broad Street, frame houses and shanties were displaced, causing many small brothels to be closed. And, while it didn’t make the street more respectable, it did create a mix of more up-market and acceptable places.
This was similar to Broughton Street, which was dominated by the Victoria Transfer Company buildings and therefore employed many male workers, so having a brothel nearby didn’t seem to cause too much consternation. This pleased one of Broughton Street’s mainstays, Maud Lord, who previously went by the name of Dora Son.
In February of 1890, the steamer Islander carried passenger Dora Son from Vancouver to Victoria. Whether she was alone is not known, but family lore has it that she was accompanied by a sea captain who promised a future he would not deliver on.