Introduction : the Belva Lockwood club -- Women in the city : law, reputation, and geography -- Women's citizenship and the problem of employment -- A place in the city : the working woman's lend a hand club -- Lives without choices : prostitution as employment -- The police matron campaign and the reform of urban environments -- Sporting men and little girls -- Making the city safe for white men : regulated prostitution -- Protecting men by reforming girls : good shepherd homes -- Women, men, and the businesses of Bucktown -- Conclusion : the popular young lady in business life
Summary
Sharon E. Wood focuses on Davenport, Iowa, to explore the lives of working women and the prostitutes who shared their neighborhoods. She offers portraits of individual girls and women - both prostitutes and "respectable" white workers - seeking to reshape their city and expand women's opportunities