The Washington County Historical Society is excited to announce a free program by WCHS Treasurer Col. Thomas Simonet on Tuesday, March 21 at 7pm at the Washington County Heritage Center. Simonet will speak on local legend Nellie “Red Nell” Mandeville, a businesswoman who hired area women to entertain the lumberjacks in the late 1800s. The Washington County Heritage Center is located at 1862 Greeley Street South, Stillwater, MN 55082.

Red Nell’s appearance on the Police Register became as predicable as the sun setting. From August 1882 through July 1883, Nell was arrested ten times. Over this period, she paid $847 in fines but never spent one day in jail. She was charged for running a “house of ill fame.” Curiously, she was always arrested with a man named Mike Keogh, who was charged with the same crime. Red Nell’s colorful life weaves from her birthplace in Ohio in 1848 to her final resting place in Minnesota in 1888. Newspaper articles and history of other area madams show the difficulty of this high-risk lifestyle.

No reservations are required. Event attendees can attend in-person at the Heritage Center or virtually on Zoom. Please visit wchsmn.org/event/rednell to access the Zoom link.

The program is free to the public. For questions, contact Washington County Heritage Center Site Manager Emily Krawczewski at emily.krawczewski@wchsmn.org or 651-439-2298. The Washington County Heritage Center is open for visitors Tuesday-Saturday from 10am-4pm.

About the Washington County Historical Society 

Founded in 1934, the Washington County Historical Society is a donor-supported, nonprofit organization with more than 750 individual, family, and business members. WCHS is supported by individual gifts, memberships and earned income, and foundation grants.