1832 – 1911

Known to friends as ‘Mahogany Lou,’ this former slave became one of the most popular and well-respected women in the Black Hills region.

Lou labored hard to make her way in a sometimes unforgiving boomtown of the West. After working at a variety of hotels and boarding houses, she purchased and operated the Rustic Hotel in Sawpit Gulch–located just down the road from Deadwood, South Dakota, home to the likes of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane.

Being a savvy businesswoman, she was able to retire comfortably on a homestead in Rocky Ford, Wyoming.

Learn more about Mahogany Lou in her own voice as performed by Joyce Jefferson. Book a program today!