Biker Living
March - April 2013
Less than 100 miles southeast of Austin lays a jewel. At the intersection of TX-71 and US-77, in the county of Fayette, sits La Grange. It is best known for an almost 130 year love affair with an establishment affectionately called The Chicken Ranch. The ranch gained worldwide notoriety by the Broadway musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
In 1844, the widow Swine brought three girls from New Orleans and settled in a motel, next door to a saloon. Mrs. Swine ran a successful business until the Civil War when she and Tillie, her faithful prostitute, were both run out of town.
Records became scant after the war, until 1905. Miss Jessie Williams bought a small house in town. Miss Jessie kept up the tradition of good relations with the law and ran a respectable house. Through her connections, she learned of an impending crusade against the red light district and bought two houses outside the city limits. This became the location of what was known as the Chicken Ranch.
Miss Jessie ruled the house with an iron hand. Drunkards and riffraff were not allowed. The sheriff stopped by every night to listen to the latest gossip. It was with knowledge gained through these nightly visits that law enforcement kept a tight reign on crime in the area.
When the Great Depression hit, the local economy dried up. The girls began to go hungry. Miss Jessie initiated the "poultry standard" by charging "one chicken for one screw." Soon chickens were everywhere. They never went hungry again. They not only had food, but they could make extra money by selling the eggs. This sustained them through the hard times, which would not last forever. Along came the World War II. Men from the Civilian Conservation Corp came to build Camp Swift near La Grange. The Chicken Ranch once again found prosperity.
In 1952 Edna Milton moved to the Ranch from Oklahoma. She proved to be as capable as Miss Jessie, who was now confined to a wheel chair. Edna had good relations with Sheriff T. J. Flournoy. As his predecessor had done before him, the Sheriff continued the nightly visits to the ranch to gather information. Between her solid relations with the Sheriff and generous donations to local civic causes, the Chicken Ranch was financially secure. During the 1950's the ranch had sixteen girls. Visiting the ranch became a freshman initiation for students of Texas A&M. Between the students and the military, the lines grew longer and longer. Respectability was maintained. No swearing or drinking was allowed. The girls were not allowed to contact local citizens. Success was insured.
The Chicken Ranch operated successfully until 1973. Marvin Zindler from KTRK-TV in Houston ran a weeklong expose on the ranch. He claimed that the DPS was not tough enough on organized crime and suggested that the Chicken Ranch was involved. Even though there was never any evidence that anything was going on, other than the obvious, the weight of politics eventually led to the ranch's closing.
T. J. tried to see the governor, armed with a petition with 3,000 signatures supporting the ranch. At the last minute, the governor cancelled the meeting. Sheriff Flournoy resigned in 1980. He had done everything he could to save the ranch. He was sick of hearing about the Chicken Ranch.
The story of the Chicken Ranch lives on. From the Broadway play came a 1982 movie, starring Burt Reynolds and Dolly Parton. My favorite quote from that movie is; Miss Mona: "You know, it's always a business doing pleasure with you, Charlie." ZZ Top wrote a hit song, La Grange, which also helps to keep the story alive. What I found ironic, Sheriff T. J. Flournoy solved every murder and bank robbery in Fayette County during the thirty-four years of his term. It was well known that the Chicken Ranch helped him in his criminal investigation. No wonder he fought so hard to keep it open.
Now for the black beans ... oh no, I've run out of room. You'll have to get the next issue of Biker Living to read the rest of the story. I think you'll find it interesting. There is a little known spot in the area that you've probably ridden by several times and never thought to pull over. Hopefully after you've read the next article you'll place that destination on your have-to-do list. See you in the next issue of Biker Living.
Ride safe - Cappy out.