THE DUMAS BROTHEL
AMERICA’S LONGEST RUNNING HOUSE OF PROSTITUTION
(1890 to 1982)
45 EAST MERCURY in beautiful Uptown Butte, Montana USA
The Dumas was designed and built as a brothel in 1890 and remained active as a brothel until 1982, making it America’s longest-running house of prostitution. It was one of the first two-story brick structures built in Butte’s famous Red Light District along Mercury Street. And ironically, the Dumas is the last survivor of an area where vice thrived and women worked hard, lived hard, and sometimes died hard.
On February 8th, 1955, Madame Elenore Knott of the Dumas Brothel made a decision to change her life.
She had decided to run away with her lover and start a new life.
Her lover was a married Butte businessman.
Elenore waited patiently with a suitcase in hand, but her lover never showed. In the morning, Elenore was found dead in room 19 of the Dumas Brothel from an overdose of sleeping pills and alcohol. — Elenore’s life had been very financially rewarding, and she possessed a number of worldly goods, including a nearly new Red Cadilliac Convertible, gold and diamond jewelry, much cash, and a brand new Harley Davidson motorcycle that she had just bought. She had told her friends that the motorcycle would bring some excitement into her life. After her death, none of these things were ever found or reported to her estate!
Since that time, working girls of The Dumas have reported seeing the ghost of Elenore, suitcase in hand, walking the halls of the Dumas Brothel.
No doubt still searching for her lover, I have encountered the spirit of Elenore many times since I purchased Dumas in 1990.
Elenore has also shown her presence to many visitors to the Dumas, but the most dramatic evidence is the appearance of Elenore in many photos taken in the Dumas.
Paranormal researchers have been to The Dumas and have concluded that there are at least two spirits in the building.
While filming “Lonesome Dove” in the hills near Butte, Montana, Rick Schroder and Reese Witherspoon take a much-needed break and visit the Dumas Brothel. One of the first things Rick said to me was, “Ya know what, Mr. Giecek?” “I feel the presence of two spirits in this building!” Rick said that he was extremely sensitive to spirits because of something that happened to him when he was very young. He explained that while he was in the hospital, he was visited by an angel or a spirit who helped him get through his illness!He has been sensitive to the presence of spirits ever since.
Howdy Rudy found another tunnel! in the middle of the downstairs hallway! Kevin, his grandson, took two pictures of him in the thing. The first one, Rudy, was standing on some rocks. A minute later, he had Kevin move the light out of the way, and he stood back a little further while Rudy got a little deeper with his head just sticking out of the floor. –As you can see by the second picture, he’s now in sight! And there appears to be smoke or clouds or whatever it is. This one is really spooky!