Twin Ports Festival of History 2024: The Red-Light Crusade

“The Red-Light Crusade: Prosecution of Prostitution” is a presentation that shares stories of the forgotten women and men who suffered and succeeded in the sex industry in Koochiching County and the affect it had on public health policy.

For most of Western history, prostitution has been tolerated, but because of its nature, it has been largely unrecorded. During the American Progressive Era, 1900-18, society experienced one of the most zealous and best-recorded campaigns against prostitution. Social, political, economic and ethical reforms against liquor, gambling and the sale of sex would change the American landscape, as well as the lives of those whose pocketbook relied heavily on these industries.

The third annual Twin Ports Festival of History runs April 3-10 at multiple venues in Duluth and Superior. It features lectures, tours and more. The event aims to provide those with an interest in history an opportunity to listen and discuss topics with authors and historians of local, regional, national and international renown. It is sponsored by the University of Minnesota Duluth’s Public History and Museum Studies Programs and the multiple heritage organizations that are putting on events.