Fannie Porter

Fannie Porter (born February 1873) was a well-known madam in 19th-century Texas in the United States. She is best known for her famous San Antonio brothel and her association with several famous outlaws of the day.

Career as a madam

Porter was born in England and traveled to the United States around the age of one with her family.

Lillie Davis, another of her "girls", became involved with outlaw and Wild Bunch member Will "News" Carver. She later claimed she had married Carver in Fort Worth before he died in 1901, but no records to verify the alleged marriage.^[3] The Sundance Kid and his girlfriend, Etta Place, whose true identity and eventual disappearance from history has long been a mystery, first met while she worked for Porter, but this may have never been confirmed.^[1] Wild Bunch gang member Laura Bullion is believed to have worked for Porter between 1898 and 1901.^[2]

Porter was well respected for her discretion, always refusing to turn in a wanted outlaw to the authorities.

By the early 20th century, the tide had begun to turn against active, openly operating brothels. Porter had been arrested in 1888 and 1891, but the investigation into her affiliation with the Wild Bunch and a canceled lease led her to move her operations to her home in 1901.[6]^{[self-published source]} Eventually, she retired and faded from history. It is not known where she went after her retirement. Most agree that she retired semi-wealthy. Some stories indicate that she married a man of wealth, some indicate she retired into seclusion, and others indicate she returned to England. None of those are confirmed. Later rumors indicated that she lived until 1940, when she was killed in a car accident in El Paso, Texas. However, this also is not certain.^[1][2]

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References