The calm of the morning was shattered as a group of horsemen galloped through the streets of San Antonio and pulled up at the rear of two story building on the corner of South San Saba and Durango. This dwelling was about a block outside the Red Light area of the city….a part of the city referred to, and known as, the “Sporting District” …a ten square block southwest of the city itself. Since then, Durango became Cesar Chavez Blvd, and San Saba was shortened, ending at Nueva St.
Photo: The area known as “The Sporting District” of San Antonio….Google maps
The property was called a “boarding house”….but everyone knew it was a place to frolic with girls, and enjoy the spoils of fine life with champagne, beautifully furnished rooms and expensive fixtures.
The establishment was run by one of the best-known madams in San Antonio, Fannie Porter, and her “sporting” house was a favorite amongst outlaws who always knew that she provided safe harbor from the law. It was said that five girls aged between 18 and 25 lived there.
Historian James D. Horan, who specialized in The Wild Bunch, gave us the only personal description of Fannie Porter. He described her as “a hard, shrewd woman…well known to the law.”
Prior to the opening of her business, Fannie Porter had appeared in court a number of times….and had been charged with a variety of crimes.
Photo: Fannie Porter in Recorder’s Court…1887…San Antonio Daily Light
Photo: San Antonio Daily Light …also 1887
Two years later she was in front of a judge again charged with being disorderly
Photo: San Antonio Daily Light…1889
Fannie Porter was born in England on February 14th, 1873…150 years ago today. Her family moved to the United States when she was one year old and settled in New Orleans. Nobody knows the reason, but a young Fannie Porter made her way to San Antonio. If you do the math…Fannie Porter was only 14 and 16 years of age when she appeared in court in the newspaper reports above. In order to support herself, Fannie began working as a prostitute in the “Sporting District” in a brothel run by the madam Carrie Anderson on the corner of San Saba and San Fernando. These girls were looked down on by society, known as “Soiled Doves” and the ironic thing was that many prominent men were often seen frequenting these establishments and the services of the young women.
Fannie had proved herself to be a shrewd businesswoman, had saved her money, and had enough resources to open her own bordello in a building that had been constructed in 1883. Fannie Porter ran a large, elegant thirteen-room parlor house on S. San Saba. This is the only known photo of Fannie Porter.
Photo: Library of Congress
Staring directly at the camera, a hand on her hip, wearing a beautiful and intricate dress with embroidery, lace, and ruffles, and with an elegant pinned hairstyle, one could be forgiven for thinking it was a portrait of a woman from high society…not the owner of a bordello. Fannie Porter projected “class”….and this was carried through to the way she ran her business.
Soon it was the most popular brothel in town. Here she employed five to eight very attractive girls, aged between 18 and 25, and her establishment had a widespread reputation for its hygienic practices, silk sheets, fine furnishings, lavish decor and the immaculate appearance of her girls.
Photo: ebay
Photo: ebay
The gang that arrived at Fannie’s that day in February 1901 had just made their way with great haste from Fort Worth. A short time before, on November 21st 1900, they had happily posed for a group photo in the studio of John Swartz, located at 705½ Main….the ½ indicated it was upstairs.
Photo: Texas Escapes
The gang was widely known as The Wild Bunch and in the photo above they are:
Rear Left: Will Carver, who was nicknamed “News” because he had a passion for reading of his own exploits in newspaper reports,
Rear Right: Harvey Logan, referred to as “Kid Curry”
Front Left: Harry A. Longabaugh, also known as “The Sundance Kid”
Front Center: Ben Kilpatrick who many knew as “The Tall Texan”
Front Right: The infamous Robert Leroy Parker……”Butch Cassidy”
The gang had earned a reputation across America for train and stagecoach robberies, and for their quick and carefully planned escapes.
However, the photographer Swartz showed the portrait to one too many people. A detective saw it and recognized the bunch. It wasn’t long before Fort Worth was swarming with officers of the law looking for the dapper outlaws, who realizing that things were getting a little too close for comfort, took off in all directions, agreeing to meet at Fannie Porter’s in San Antonio.
The Wild Bunch knew that they would be safe for a short time at Fannie Porter’s house. It was here that Harry Longabaugh ( The Sundance Kid ) had the chance to visit with his lady love, Etta Place, who was living there at that time. In fact, a number of Fannie’s girls had relationships with the Wild Bunch, including Laura Bullion, Lille Davis and Della Moore.
Photo: The Sundance Kid and Etta Place probably taken at DeYoung Photography Studio at 826 Broadway in New York City where they posed for photographs on February 3rd 1901 …Wikipedia
In the 1969 movie “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”, there is a famous scene with Etta Place, who in the film is a schoolteacher (portrayed by Katherine Ross) riding a bike with Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) Legend has it that this took place in San Antonio outside Fannie Porter’s establishment as they were cheered on by a crowd on the building’s balcony. In the film, they rode the bike to the song “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head” written by Burt Bacharach.
Photo: stuff.co.nz
But fearing that the law was closing in, The Wild Bunch did not stay very long at Fannie Porter’s. She put on a farewell party for them, and then they went their separate ways.
Fannie Porter had gained the reputation of discretion with her clientele. Her establishment served as a hideaway and a rest stop for notorious criminals, and it was also frequented by law officers. ..sometimes all at the same time. However, Fannie never gave up her clients…no matter what their criminal history was… or how high up in society they were. But…she was always answering charges in court.
Photo: Note that the address reported is 555 San Saba. In her advertisement (above) it is located at 503 South San Saba…San Antonio Daily Light
Photo: San Antonio Daily Light
Photo: San Antonio Daily Light
Photo: San Antonio Daily Light
Photo: San Antonio Daily Light
Photo: San Antonio Daily Light
Photo: San Antonio Daily Light…she protected them to the end !
Not much is known of Fannie after this time. It is known that she retired in 1905 with considerable wealth, and there are rumors that she married a wealthy man and moved away from San Antonio. Some other stories had her living her life in seclusion enjoying her wealth, and there were some who claimed that she returned to England. However, according to her entry in the Handbook of Texas Online, “legend has it that Fannie died in a car accident in El Paso years later” This is also part of the story of Fannie Porter. There is no official record of this event.
Additional story:
- The location of her brothel became a well-known landmark in San Antonio for many years. Following Fannie’s departure, it continued as a brothel under various madams until 1912. It then became the Carmelite Sisters Day Nursery, and later it was Father Flanagan’s Boys Town. There were plans to turn the site into a high rise apartment complex, but for a time there were hopes to save the building because of its historical significance.
Photo: loopnet.com
It sat boarded up for a number of years as the debate continued.
Photo: Author
Photo: Author…( note the legendary San Antonio Rose Window )
Then late at night on February 23rd, 2022, the structure was destroyed by fire and reduced to rubble. An infamous part of San Antonio’s history went up in smoke.
Photo: San Antonio Report
Photo: Author
Sources:
West of the Creek David Bowser
Wikipedia
historynet
tshaonline.org
joshuavchaanin.wordpress.com
It Happened in San Antonio Marilyn Bennett
San Antonio Express News: Paula Allen
The Last Outlaws Thom Hatch
PROSTITUTION AND POWER IN PROGRESSIVE-ERA TEXAS: ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND THE INFLUENCE OF MADAMS IN FORT WORTH AND SAN ANTONIO, 1877-1920 by JESSICA MICHELLE WEBB Master of Arts, 2014 Texas Christian University Fort Worth, Texas
Follow My Blog:
Get new content delivered directly to your inbox.
Memories of San Antonio 
Alas, the James Hampton heading the first list of those fined in court was a repeat offender known for wandering around town on drunken binges. He was married to Malinda Coker, and, in 1890, his body parts were found scattered around the farmland after he failed to make it all the way back to their home in the Coker Settlement.
LikeLike