Lancaster Vice: The Hidden History of Sex, Crime and Power in the 1900s

In the early 1900s, Lancaster City was known as a “wide open” city where police and city officials looked the other way and sometimes even encouraged drinking, gambling, and prostitution. Brothel keepers, bartenders, charity girls, and traveling salesmen shared the city with crooked politicians and moralistic reformers. On this walking tour, attendees will visit the streets they called home and learn about the history of gender, sexuality, and the law through the stories of Reverend Clifford Twombley, Mayor Frank McClain, and the men and women of Lancaster’s Red-Light Districts.

Lancaster Vice, a walking tour, will take place on Saturday, April 22 with tours departing at 11am and 2pm. Tours meet outside of Saint James Episcopal Church at 119 North Duke Street in Lancaster. Tours last approximately 90 minutes. Tickets are $10 for LancasterHistory Members and Students; $15 for Non-Members. This program is suggested for ages 18 and older. Advance registration is strongly recommended. Tickets may be purchased online or by calling (717) 392-4633.