Saloons and Brothels
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The constant flow of sailors arriving in Huron on the boats and the fishermen coming to Huron to set their gill nets prompted the establishment of brothels and the proliferation of saloons. One of the more notorious brothels was a houseboat that had been moored on the Huron River near the Berlin Street Bridge for several years. In 1919 an altercation occurred on the houseboat among 6 sailors, 2 of the working girls and the proprietor, Philip Stakes. Stakes was badly beaten and one of the girls shot a sailor in the thigh with a revolver.
A few years after the houseboat was shut down a new “house of ill repute” opened around the corner from Fries Lumber in the second house from the river. Called Myrtle’s, the brothel was owned by Martha Waggoner and according to her niece, who was a young girl at the time, "My aunt was a strong, big woman who would kick the sailors out of the house if they were rowdy. She was also very civic-minded. She donated money to buy the lights for the stadium at the new high school (McCormick) and paid her taxes, like everyone else.”
By 1895 Huron had nine saloons, with one saloon for every 100 residents.
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