Pioneer Pieces: Mining Towns had Character (s)!

Like the gold mining towns of California, Nevada's mining towns were a rough sort...just a step above civilized behavior. Women were starting to trickle in to join their husbands, but there were only basics in the way of housing, schooling and opportunities for women.  It was unusual have organized women's clubs, church activities or employment for women in the early mining towns.

But of course there was always an exception, and Eleanor Dupont was that exception in Nevada City.  Nicknamed "Madame Moustache", Eleanor ran the Nevada City gambling house where she dealt a mean hand of Rock Mountain (21 to us), and Keno.  Eleanor managed to keep a "good woman of character" reputation in Nevada City despites her owning and running the city's gambling house.

Next time ...more characters of the Nevada mining towns