Who Said Whores Can’t Be Entrepreneurs?

She Built an Empire Through Sex

Being born a woman in 1846 meant accepting a life of limitations. You either married and served a husband, or you were a burden to your family. But Mattie Silks told all that shit to take a hike.

At 19 years old, in 1865, while America was still recovering from the Civil War, Mattie already owned her first brothel in Springfield, Illinois. No beating around the bush, no excuses, no shame.

“I entered this life for business reasons and for no other reason,” she declared. “It was a way for a woman at that time to make money, and I did it.”

Yes, this quote is actually attributed to Mattie Silks. She was quoted in Max Miller’s book “Holladay Street” saying these exact words. It’s one of the few direct records of her statements that survived history.

Born in Pennsylvania and raised in Indiana, Mattie started working as a prostitute in Texas and Kansas. She quickly realized that the real money was in running the business, not being “one of the girls.” She always claimed: “I was always a lady, never one of the girls” — a direct way of saying her place was as a manager, not as merchandise.

In 1876, Mattie arrived in Denver, a booming city thanks to the Colorado gold rush. The demand for women was enormous — miners, businessmen, and politicians all wanted entertainment.

She paid 13,000 dollars for her first brothel on Market Street (then known as…