In the wake of an online petition, a historic and long-closed bordello across the street from the Route 66 landmark 4 Women on the Route in Galena, Kan., has been spared from demolition and may eventually be purchased and renovated, reported the Joplin Globe.
The Globe revealed that Mayor Dale Oglesby is part of a group that wants to buy the house and eventually restore it. The house at 203 N. Main St. is known as the Steffleback Bordello.
The owners of 4 Women on the Route also have expressed an interest in buying the house and restoring it into a bed-and-breakfast. But the death of one of the principals and other difficulties have prevented that for now.
According to the Globe and other sources, Ma Steffleback was the longtime owner of the bordello and known as “Galena’s Bloody Madam.” She also was known as Nancy Wilson, but locals referred to her by a previous name through marriage.
Steffleback, two sons, and her husband were charged in 1897 with murdering Frank Galbraith, a miner and bordello client, and dumping his body into a mine shaft. All were convicted of various charges with the killing, and Ma Steffleback died in prison in 1909.
The online petition suggests Steffleback led what amounted to a serial killing-and-robbing scheme:
She would have her girls discover which miners wouldn’t be missed and were carrying a lot of money on their person, and they would either drug them or get them drunk and then lure them out of sight under the pretext of having a good time. Then, either Ma’s sons or the man she was living with would murder the poor miner via a blow to the head with an ax. The bodies would be looted—often by Ma herself—and the bodies wrapped in canvas and thrown down one of the many mines, where it could be thought a mining accident. At least fifty miners were murdered in this Victorian brothel before Ma was caught, although her hoarded treasure was never found.
The Legends of America site says Steffleback lured as many as 30 victims into her deadly back room. However, none of this was proven.
Oglesby initially was targeted in the online petition to prevent the building from being razed. However, since he supported its preservation, the petition morphed into a thank-you note to him.
According the Globe:
Oglesby said the city’s code enforcement officer had put it on a list for condemnation because the structure is leaning and the roof is not intact.
“I had the city attorney take it back off the condemnation list,” he said.
Oglesby said he is one of a group of people trying to buy the building from local businessman Larry Courtney. He said the plan is to try to stabilize and eventually restore it, but the task won’t be easy, or inexpensive.
“I think it’s got potential to be saved,” the mayor said. “It’s going to fall over if we don’t intervene.”
Courtney, by the way, was one of the key funders for 4 Women on the Route.
The Globe’s story has several photos of the bordello, including an ornate staircase.
Cool story! I remarked on this house (I probably said something like, “Ooo, look at that old house! I wonder if it’s haunted?!” Because I always say that about old houses.) but didn’t know the story behind it. Yikes!
Odds are, Larry Courtney is holding this place only because of the earlier plan where “4 Women” had wanted to restore additional Galena buildings, starting with this one. He is not at arms length to the original “4 Women” (Betty Courtney, Melba Rigg, Renée Charles and Judy Courtney) as the late Betty Courtney (RIP) was his mama and Judy Courtney is his ex.
You’d provided Betty’s obituary here: https://www.route66news.com/2010/06/28/notes-from-the-road-46/
If Larry’s going to do anything with the property, he’d better start very soon.
“4 Women” were claiming plans to restore this as recently as April 2011. Melba Rigg told the Pittsburg KS Morning Sun “See that building across the street? That was a 1930 brothel. We’re working on grants to make it into a bed and breakfast.”.
https://www.morningsun.net/featured/x1700894759/PATRICKS-PEOPLE-Film-crew-comes-to-see-inspiration-for-a-Cars-character
There is a risk that while well-intentioned people wait for grants the property deteriorates further, increasing the cost of any subsequent restoration attempt. Unfortunate.
4 Women on the Route was talking about fixing up that house way back in 2007:
https://www.route66news.com/2007/10/18/a-visit-to-4-women-on-the-route/
When we went through Galena on a trip a while back, we noticed the old house right away. It’s erie, but in a beautiful way. Made sure it was one of the photos we got of Galena. Sure hope it can be saved.
It’s been a couple of years since I’ve been there (at 4 Women On The Route not this place.) It’s looking pretty shabby. I hope it can be saved before it slips away completely.
It’s a piece of history, and it would be a shame to let it deteriorate to the point that it couldn’t be saved. History is important, and the house needs to be saved.
Roger….Reading this article….I can tell that you wrote it in person…
I can tell that you checked out most of the facts…But if you would have checked further…in the news articles you would have found out that the house was located on “Owl” Creek” behind what is now the Galena “Sonic”… and that one of the houses was burned down and the other one torn down for souvenirs..1897 (I have pictures of both houses) Also, If you would have talked to the girls at the Columbus Historical Society (620) 429-2992…They would have told you that the “Stafflebacks” never lived in that house..
This story was “fabricated” by Russell Keeler and “Kansas Legens”… Russ was in Galena in February 2010 took pictures of the house…
Then contacted “Kansas Legens” and they came in June 2010.. They put the picture with the “Staffleback” information..On “Kansas Legends” and “After Midnight Paranormal”..
Russ Keeler will not be able to come up with any records because it is a “Fabricated” story…I have all of the supporting documents on everything…
I would expect that the “Joplin Globe” would like to run a retraction… I will be getting in touch with the Editor and making an appt. to see her and will take the pictures to her office.. I am very sure that she will make the correction’s …Especially after the..March 17, 2013 Edition of your paper…
Carolyn McLean carolynfromkansas43@yahoo.com
Never has anyone said that this was the house they lived in, as far as any records go(where are yours?) they lived in a log cabin(been stated by Russ and others). They did run a bordello, All evidence points to that old house(as you call it) being the house of ill repute. Regardless of that, the place is haunted, my self as well as others have investigated that old house and have experienced paranormal activity.
There has been a lot of time and money put into the history of the Stefflebacks and locations of log cabin and bordello that they ran… The address to the said location(just Google it) shows on maps as being down the road…lol…records were not keep very well back in 1800s when Galena became a hard tough mining town(just like all mining towns from that period).
Even ancestors of the ill famed Stefflebacks have confirmed that they “believe” that the location is correct.
But one more time for the record…Russ from AMPI nor anyone I know involved has claimed this was the house they lived in! It is believed that this is the bordello they ran! Note , ….
Ryan ENPS Paranormal Investigator.
“Russ” said it in February of 2010 when he came to Galena, took some pictures of the house and started “Galenas Murder Bordello”..
“Russ” said ” it in June of 2010 when he called “Kansas” Legends” and had them, Dave & Kathy, come to Galena, Kansas and pick up the “picture of the house” and the “NEW” story on the Stafflebacks”…(I have the e-mail)
“Russ” put it all over the internet, over, over, and over, that it is the “Staffleback” house, even called it a Mansion.. He also has the drawings of the “Real” Staffleback houses, as I do. from the 1897 CA-NY newspapers. That Joe G. sent to him as well as me.. 30 + Drawings..”Grungy Old Log Cabin Brothel” is what the Chicago Tribune called it in 1897.
“Russ” has put no time or money in researching anything” ..He is the one to put the “house” with the “story”… it is a made up story..of his from 2010….What does this tell you about him? Why would you ever want to listen to S.E. Kansas “Historians” when Russ “can make up” stories to tell you.
As far as records “not being kept very well” back then:
In 1897 when Frank G. was murdered by the Stafflebacks.
There were the best records possible.. Galena, Kansas got more advertising “free” than any place in the world. 30 plus Drawings of the house and the “Grungy Little Log Cabin Brothel”.. The “true” story in every big paper in the United States.
Now for Location: “Google” wasn’t there back in 1897 but the “newsmen”, with their drawings and locations, were and described “exactly” where the houses was.. On “Owl Creek” in the western part of Galena..The house on Front street was in a highly populated residential and business part of town..No mine shafts.. The real houses were one half mile away across the business part of Galena..No mine shafts..
F.Y.I. The Stafflebacks came from “Swindle Hill” in Joplin, MO to “Pickers Point” on the western edge of Galena in 1894..They moved into a deserted miners shanty in the mining fields..The mine that they put Frank G’s Body into was abt. 50 feet from the house.
As for the family of the Stafflebacks thinking that was the Stafflebacks house..Not true…. “Russ” told them it was the house….I have many e-mails from Joe.G. in CA telling me that the family always knew, the ones in MO also , that the Staffleback house was burned to the ground in 1897..
Your Last statement…Quote”: Russ from AMPI nor anyone I know involved has claimed this was the house they lived in!
“Russ” has made statements all over the “Galenas Murder Bordello” and “After Midnight Paranormal” that it is the Staffleback house…He has it in the Newspapers and all over the internet.. He is selling “Galenas Murder bordello T-Shirts.. That in its-self tell’s you that it is the Staffleback house when he “knows” better because he made it up. There were no murders in that house…
Per Route 66 Okla…..Yet this episode should serve as a cautionary tale to them who “play” fast and easy with history…. Go on the internet..
Carolyn McLean…Historian for my “Hometown” Galena, Kansas and member of the “Cherokee County Historical Society.” at Columbus, Kansas
Ancestors of the ill-famed Stefflebacks? Wouldn’t they have been dead a century ago?
Ok…Wrong word…
Carlb… You seem to know a lot about Galena… I could not find the word “ancestor” in any of the above that I wrote and the dates were 1894 & 1897….. Please explain….Carolyn
Carlb…..Sorry about comments 9 & 10..I thought that I had made a mistake.. I see now..:)