Ranch is a common name used to describe a
brothel
A brothel, strumpet house, bordello, bawdy house, ranch, house of ill repute, house of ill fame, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in Human sexual activity, sexual activity with prostitutes. For legal or cultural reasons, establis ...
, especially in western areas of the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
.
Origin
This usage dates back to the original ''
Chicken Ranch'' near the town of
La Grange, Texas
La Grange ( ) is a city and the county seat of Fayette County, Texas, United States, near the Colorado River. La Grange is in the center of the Texas-German belt. The population was 4,391 at the 2010 census, and in 2018 the estimated population ...
, an old brothel that is no longer open which accepted chickens as payment during the
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
.
Over time the place became overrun with chickens.
Best-known Examples
* There is currently a legal brothel also called the
Chicken Ranch just outside the town of
Pahrump, Nevada
Pahrump ( ) is an Unincorporated towns in Nevada, unincorporated town located at the southernmost tip of Nye County, Nevada, United States, about west of Las Vegas (roughly an hour away by driving distance). Pahrump lies adjacent to the Nevada ...
.
*
Sheri's Ranch. Another legal brothel just outside the town of Pahrump, Nevada.
* The
Mustang Ranch
The Mustang Ranch is a brothel in Storey County, Nevada, about east of Reno.
Under the past and original owner Joe Conforte, Mustang Ranch Brothel, the precursor to Mustang Ranch, became Nevada's first licensed brothel in 1971. This eventuall ...
was formerly a legal brothel near
Reno
Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada–California border. It is the county seat and most populous city of Washoe County, Nevada, Washoe County. Sitting in the High Eastern Sierra foothills, ...
(closed 1999; rights to reuse the name are now tied up in court).
* The
Moonlite BunnyRanch
The Moonlite BunnyRanch is a legal, licensed brothel in Mound House, Nevada, United States, east of Carson City. First opened in 1955, it came to national attention under Dennis Hof, who owned the brothel from 1992 until his death in 2018.
His ...
is a legal brothel near
Carson City
Carson City, officially the Carson City Consolidated Municipality, is an independent city and the capital of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,639, making it the 6th most populous city in the state. The m ...
.
Many of Nevada's other legal brothels also incorporate the term "ranch" into their names.
See also
* Prostitution in Nevada
* List of brothels in Nevada
References
Brothels
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