The Chicago nightlife district was initially located downtown in the First District.
However, after the Great Fire of Chicago in 1871, it moved to the south of the city.
Before 1890, the area known as Customs House Levee became a gathering place for players and pimps, and was one of the most notorious criminal districts in Chicago.
According to one newspaper, Chicago was at that time considered "the most violent, dirtiest cities – loud, lawless, ugly, offensive, godless; an oversized, stupid village."
In cooperation with the Chicago Outfit, corrupt city councilors "Hinky Dink" Michael Kenna and "Bathhouse" John Coughlin,  precipitated the rapid rise of vice in the district.
From 1893 the pair organized a protection racket in which game parlors and brothels in The Levee had to pay protection money.
Kenna and Coughlin formed a group of corrupt city councilors called "Gray Wolves", which was active from 1890 to 1930.

The Levee District was home to many brothels, saloons, dance halls, and similar places.
Chicago's first brothels were built on Wells Street.
Among the most famous establishments were:
The House of All Nations (between Archer Street and Cullerton Street), where, similar to the Parisian establishment of the same name, girls from different countries of the world could be found
The Little Green House on Bed Bug Row
The Bucket of Blood, an infamous saloon on the southwest corner of 19th Street and Federal.
This bar was mentioned in a newspaper in 1916 for serving still liquor after the curfew.
The name most likely comes from the fact that in the morning, after numerous brawls and stabbings, blood had to be cleaned from the floor.

Ed Weiss's Capitol, a dance hall owned by Ed Weiss whose brother Louis also owned the brothel The Sapphos
Freiberg's Dance Hall, a brothel between 22nd Street, Wabash Street and State Street.
The restaurant offered a bar, dance floor and contact with prostitutes.
According to the Chicago Vice Commission, the dance hall was one of the most infamous venues in Chicago, after it was learned that women were often kidnapped and forced into prostitution from there.
Kenna and Coughlin resided at Freiberg's Dance Hall.
It closed on August 24, 1914.

Everleigh Club, led by Ada and Minna Everleigh on Dearborn Avenue, was regularly frequented by the society's elite.
The prostitutes, who called themselves "butterflies", earned $100 to $400 a week in the brothel, which were phenomenal sums for the time given the prevailing daily wages elsewhere.
From this club came the contemporary phrase "I'm going to get Everleighed", which most likely later became the colloquialism "get laid".

The lowest level of the brothels formed the simple houses in the Bed Bug Row, spanning from Dearborn Avenue and Federal to 19th Street and Arche).
The women of color who worked there offered $0.25 services, often under poor hygienic conditions.
The Bed Bug Row had a similar bad reputation to the "Cribs" in New Orleans or the "cowyards" in San Francisco.

In order to receive protection, Levee inhabitants would attend the biggest event in the district, the annual First Ward Ball.
There, Levee residents gathered to celebrate the triumphs brought to them by "Hinky Dink" Kenna and "Bathhouse" Coughlin.
Madams, corrupt businessmen, dance-hall owners, saloon owners, prostitutes, brothel owners, and gamblers attended the event to support these aldermen.
The money raised came from the purchase of tickets to the event and of alcohol.

When anti-vice reformers protested the ball, Kenna justified it as benefiting the people in the district through educational and community programs.
The First Ward Ball of 1908 was the most significant because it was the last one to be attended by the Levee's most prominent figures.
That year, anti-vice reformers tried to stop the ball by bombing its venue, The Coliseum.
The ball was uninterrupted, however, in 1909, anti-vice reformers worked towards getting the city to revoke the event's alcohol license.
They succeeded, and only about 3,000 people attended, less than a quarter of the attendance at the previous
The Chicago nightlife district was initially located downtown in the First District. However, after the Great Fire of Chicago in 1871, it moved to the south of the city. Before 1890, the area known as Customs House Levee became a gathering place for players and pimps, and was one of the most notorious criminal districts in Chicago. According to one newspaper, Chicago was at that time considered "the most violent, dirtiest cities – loud, lawless, ugly, offensive, godless; an oversized, stupid village." In cooperation with the Chicago Outfit, corrupt city councilors "Hinky Dink" Michael Kenna and "Bathhouse" John Coughlin,  precipitated the rapid rise of vice in the district. From 1893 the pair organized a protection racket in which game parlors and brothels in The Levee had to pay protection money. Kenna and Coughlin formed a group of corrupt city councilors called "Gray Wolves", which was active from 1890 to 1930.
The Levee District was home to many brothels, saloons, dance halls, and similar places. Chicago's first brothels were built on Wells Street. Among the most famous establishments were:
The House of All Nations (between Archer Street and Cullerton Street), where, similar to the Parisian establishment of the same name, girls from different countries of the world could be found
The Little Green House on Bed Bug Row
The Bucket of Blood, an infamous saloon on the southwest corner of 19th Street and Federal. This bar was mentioned in a newspaper in 1916 for serving still liquor after the curfew. The name most likely comes from the fact that in the morning, after numerous brawls and stabbings, blood had to be cleaned from the floor.
Ed Weiss's Capitol, a dance hall owned by Ed Weiss whose brother Louis also owned the brothel The Sapphos
Freiberg's Dance Hall, a brothel between 22nd Street, Wabash Street and State Street. The restaurant offered a bar, dance floor and contact with prostitutes. According to the Chicago Vice Commission, the dance hall was one of the most infamous venues in Chicago, after it was learned that women were often kidnapped and forced into prostitution from there. Kenna and Coughlin resided at Freiberg's Dance Hall. It closed on August 24, 1914.
Everleigh Club, led by Ada and Minna Everleigh on Dearborn Avenue, was regularly frequented by the society's elite. The prostitutes, who called themselves "butterflies", earned $100 to $400 a week in the brothel, which were phenomenal sums for the time given the prevailing daily wages elsewhere. From this club came the contemporary phrase "I'm going to get Everleighed", which most likely later became the colloquialism "get laid".
The lowest level of the brothels formed the simple houses in the Bed Bug Row, spanning from Dearborn Avenue and Federal to 19th Street and Arche). The women of color who worked there offered $0.25 services, often under poor hygienic conditions. The Bed Bug Row had a similar bad reputation to the "Cribs" in New Orleans or the "cowyards" in San Francisco.
In order to receive protection, Levee inhabitants would attend the biggest event in the district, the annual First Ward Ball. There, Levee residents gathered to celebrate the triumphs brought to them by "Hinky Dink" Kenna and "Bathhouse" Coughlin. Madams, corrupt businessmen, dance-hall owners, saloon owners, prostitutes, brothel owners, and gamblers attended the event to support these aldermen. The money raised came from the purchase of tickets to the event and of alcohol.
When anti-vice reformers protested the ball, Kenna justified it as benefiting the people in the district through educational and community programs. The First Ward Ball of 1908 was the most significant because it was the last one to be attended by the Levee's most prominent figures. That year, anti-vice reformers tried to stop the ball by bombing its venue, The Coliseum. The ball was uninterrupted, however, in 1909, anti-vice reformers worked towards getting the city to revoke the event's alcohol license. They succeeded, and only about 3,000 people attended, less than a quarter of the attendance at the previous
The Levee, Chicago