Messaline goes to Pacific, Missouri
In the mid-1800 the Pacific Railroad began laying track west of St. Louis. The town of Pacific, Missouri was one of its first destinations as vast deposits of silica had been found, an essential ingredient for glass and fine crystal. Many of the underground mines have been played out but there is still an active silica strip mine hidden in the hills just out of town.
The railroad would change its name to the Missouri Pacific Railroad but never made it to the Pacific coast until in the late 1900s when it was bought by the Union Pacific Railroad. So what the hell does this have to do with anything here, you ask?
In the late 1800s a French woman named Messaline, a pretender to the French Crown, came to America on a steamer. She found New York enjoyable but she was burning through her money as there was no more a demand for French baronesses in New York as there was in Paris. It was suggested she go west to St. Louis as there was a large French community there and was far cheaper than New York. In St. Louis she found it was more affordable but her title of baroness was no more respected there than in New York or Paris and the very Catholic city would impede her from earning money one way she could. It was suggested she move to Pacific, Missouri, as the mining town had had far more men than women who also made more money than they could spend on drinks.
One could question the morality of this but not Messaline’s business sense. She started in the railroad hotel servicing miners and railroad workers but saved her money and before long had an ornate house built (yes some of the work was paid for on her back, but the artisans and Messaline both thought they got a fair deal) that allowed her to move to more upscale clientele.
This would become Messaline’s undoing as will be explained soon…
Tree
In the mid-1800 the Pacific Railroad began laying track west of St. Louis. The town of Pacific, Missouri was one of its first destinations as vast deposits of silica had been found, an essential ingredient for glass and fine crystal. Many of the underground mines have been played out but there is still an active silica strip mine hidden in the hills just out of town.
The railroad would change its name to the Missouri Pacific Railroad but never made it to the Pacific coast until in the late 1900s when it was bought by the Union Pacific Railroad. So what the hell does this have to do with anything here, you ask?
In the late 1800s a French woman named Messaline, a pretender to the French Crown, came to America on a steamer. She found New York enjoyable but she was burning through her money as there was no more a demand for French baronesses in New York as there was in Paris. It was suggested she go west to St. Louis as there was a large French community there and was far cheaper than New York. In St. Louis she found it was more affordable but her title of baroness was no more respected there than in New York or Paris and the very Catholic city would impede her from earning money one way she could. It was suggested she move to Pacific, Missouri, as the mining town had had far more men than women who also made more money than they could spend on drinks.
One could question the morality of this but not Messaline’s business sense. She started in the railroad hotel servicing miners and railroad workers but saved her money and before long had an ornate house built (yes some of the work was paid for on her back, but the artisans and Messaline both thought they got a fair deal) that allowed her to move to more upscale clientele.
This would become Messaline’s undoing as will be explained soon…
Tree
