Hurley, Wisconsin: Bedtime Stories: Vice: A Chronology 1942 - 1982

The stories on these pages chronicle the accounts of bootleggers, gamblers, prostitutes, and authorities in Hurley, Wisconsin, between 1942 and 1982. During this period, Hurley was often referred to as the “sin city of the north” along with the companion phrase “Hurley, Hayward, and Hell.” Although the narrative focuses on Hurley and prostitution, stories from other areas are included to provide context, show relationships, and illustrate connections.During this period, prostitution arrests occurred throughout the state, but Hurley was the most poignant because of geography, distance from authority, tenacity, personalities, and family relationships. Silver Street was home to a tribe of like-minded people trying to make a living based on fundamental human desires. They were often cooperative and sometimes competitive, but fortitude was the glue that held the tribe together.This narrative is crowded with crime stories that highlight the actions of notable characters, and the effects on accomplices, witnesses, and victims. The work was motivated by a lost manuscript showing the original mug shots taken by agents of the Wisconsin Beverage Tax Division and the FBI during raids in Hurley and other parts of the state.The story opens with a coordinated raid on the taverns and brothels in Hurley in the summer of 1942 and ends with the arrest and imprisonment of the Iron County judge in 1982. It is a record of Wisconsin’s history that exposes the tension caused by alternative views of morality. Specific to Hurley, it describes the fortitude, grit, and defiance toward state and federal authority. Read more