Sunset Lodge Georgetown: The Story of a Madam in Bloomington, MN

Hazel Weisse moved to Georgetown in 1936 and opened a brothel three miles south of Front Street. Despite being illegal, the business remained open for thirty-three years until Weisse’s retirement in 1969. She was well known, shopping every week on Front Street and appearing in the newspaper as a donor to charitable causes. She sent her “sporting ladies” to town for their weekly doctor visits, banking deposits and shopping trips. Weisse was also aware of the community around her business. She did not allow her employees free access to Georgetown. She approved their choices of clothes to wear to Front Street, warned them not to look at men on the sidewalk and forbade soliciting. Author David Gregg Hodges reveals the history and stories behind the Sunset Lodge.