Peggy's ad in the 1963 Georgia Tech Annual is on the bottom right.Click the picture to enlarge it.
Peggy's was a nationally known house of prostitution in Rome, GA from the late 40's through the early 70's. This site is devoted to gathering history about the house and it's famous Madam.
Friday, October 29, 2004
Friday, September 10, 2004
The 50's in Rome
Ok, it wouldn't be much of a story if we didn't set the scene. Peggy was at her height of success in the 50's. Do you remember what Rome was like then? The Toonville Trolley, Pop Skull, Chow Time, The Krystal, cruising, drag racing on Martha Berry.... Any memories to share? Please write in!
Monday, September 06, 2004
THE OFFICERS AND THE JACKASS
Back in the 1950’s, Rome, Georgia was pretty much like most small towns. There was more mischief than real crime. People didn’t lock their doors at night and they frequently left their keys in the ignition when they left their cars. The police force had little funding and with only two cars, officer’s walked a beat and checked on folks to make sure they were all right. Life was simpler and people were friendlier. An occasional prank every here and there was not only tolerated, it was expected – even from the police officers themselves.
One quiet, uneventful evening, a couple of young officers were making their rounds in one of the two available police cars, when one of them got it into his head that it just might be fun to play a little prank over at Peggy’s. He decided to get a hold of a jackass that he knew of and quietly led it to the front of her house, threatening his partner never to breathe a word of it to anyone if he valued his life. The police car coasted to the front of the house with their lights off, while the author of the plan led the jackass up the three steps to Peggy’s porch, tied the animal to the porch door, and quietly stole away.
It wasn’t long before Miss Peggy was calling the police chief at home and insisting that he do something about it. The Chief didn’t need to think long or hard before he called in the culprit on the radio and told him to get that jackass off of Peggy’s porch. The officer protested his complete lack of knowledge of the prank to no avail. The Chief knew good and well he was the one and he sent the two sheepish young men over to release the animal. When they arrived back at Peggy’s, they found her shooing the beast away from her door. They came and got him and moved him over behind City hall where he remained for a time. The officers were charged with his feed and care until he could be taken to a permanent home.
One quiet, uneventful evening, a couple of young officers were making their rounds in one of the two available police cars, when one of them got it into his head that it just might be fun to play a little prank over at Peggy’s. He decided to get a hold of a jackass that he knew of and quietly led it to the front of her house, threatening his partner never to breathe a word of it to anyone if he valued his life. The police car coasted to the front of the house with their lights off, while the author of the plan led the jackass up the three steps to Peggy’s porch, tied the animal to the porch door, and quietly stole away.
It wasn’t long before Miss Peggy was calling the police chief at home and insisting that he do something about it. The Chief didn’t need to think long or hard before he called in the culprit on the radio and told him to get that jackass off of Peggy’s porch. The officer protested his complete lack of knowledge of the prank to no avail. The Chief knew good and well he was the one and he sent the two sheepish young men over to release the animal. When they arrived back at Peggy’s, they found her shooing the beast away from her door. They came and got him and moved him over behind City hall where he remained for a time. The officers were charged with his feed and care until he could be taken to a permanent home.
Saturday, September 04, 2004
ROME'S FIRST CITY POLICE DOG
While we are talking about legends, it's difficult not to throw in one or two that are a little off our subject. The first City police dog is just such a legend. As the story goes, back in the 50's when the City of Rome Police Department was in the basement of City Hall around the back, and there were only two police cars on the force, a mutt dog presented himself every evening around 10 p.m. to cover the night shift. He attached himself to one officer in particular, but if that one wasn't on duty, he had another one that he would accompany on his rounds. The officer's named him 'Bruno' and taught him to make the rounds with them on their nightly beat. Every evening he would report for duty at the same time, and the officers would meet him around the back side of City Hall and toot their horn twice signaling him to come to the car. Every morning around 7 a.m. when the shift was over, he would walk off to wherever he lived when he was off duty.
Bruno rode all over Rome and visited local businesses and restaurants with the officers, where he became known and loved all over town. Everyone knew Bruno. He became so beloved that when he died, the officers decided that he needed to be laid to rest at the City Hall that he seemed to love. A section of the concrete stairs leading down the right side of City Hall to the Water Billing office was removed so he could be buried there. The stairs were replaced over him so that Bruno could forever be a part of the City goverment that he had loved.pted as his own.
Bruno rode all over Rome and visited local businesses and restaurants with the officers, where he became known and loved all over town. Everyone knew Bruno. He became so beloved that when he died, the officers decided that he needed to be laid to rest at the City Hall that he seemed to love. A section of the concrete stairs leading down the right side of City Hall to the Water Billing office was removed so he could be buried there. The stairs were replaced over him so that Bruno could forever be a part of the City goverment that he had loved.pted as his own.
Tuesday, August 03, 2004
Thanks for All Your Input - Please Keep it UP!!!
I want to take a moment to thank everyone for all the great Peggy stories that I'm getting in recently. I haven't had a chance to post them all, but will keep working on it. I'd like to assure anyone who has a story, not be afraid to post it. I have found that some people are a little reluctant still. I want to assure you all that I have no plans to embarrass anyone, and will alter the story as much as necessary to avoid that. I don't want anyone to fear. This is a project that is only in the beginning stages too. It has a long way to go if it ever hopes to make it into print. In the meantime, this site is a place to reminisce a bygone era of mischief and fun, and to collect stories that add to the color and mood of the time. At the very least I hope that we all can enjoy a chuckle or two together!
P.S. I also ask if anyone disputes anything I have posted on this site, PLEASE correct me! I want to be as accurate as possible!
P.S. I also ask if anyone disputes anything I have posted on this site, PLEASE correct me! I want to be as accurate as possible!
Thursday, June 10, 2004
Interview with an 83 Year -Old Grandma
To get a woman's perspective, I asked a friend of mine if she would ask her grandmother what she remembered of Peggy. (Her Grandma was a God-fearing Southern Baptist, so I figured I could just about guess what she would say, but I was surprised by her response, which I'll paraphrase below:
"When I was a young married woman, I worked part-time at a drug store on Broad Street. On Sundays we worked only half a day and then we would close the store around 2:00. That was when the Pharmacist would ask me to drive him out to Peggy's to deliver all the perscriptions needed over there. I would wait in the car, and the Pharmacist would go in and make the deliveries. Years later my husband installed some flooring in Peggy's house. He reported to me that the place was clean and well kept. I believe that men, (except for my husband) need that kind of place from time to time, and when they do, it's better to have a safe clean place to go. If my husband were that kind of man, I'd rather he go someplace like Peggy's than anywhere else."
"When I was a young married woman, I worked part-time at a drug store on Broad Street. On Sundays we worked only half a day and then we would close the store around 2:00. That was when the Pharmacist would ask me to drive him out to Peggy's to deliver all the perscriptions needed over there. I would wait in the car, and the Pharmacist would go in and make the deliveries. Years later my husband installed some flooring in Peggy's house. He reported to me that the place was clean and well kept. I believe that men, (except for my husband) need that kind of place from time to time, and when they do, it's better to have a safe clean place to go. If my husband were that kind of man, I'd rather he go someplace like Peggy's than anywhere else."
Tuesday, May 18, 2004
Our Future Farmers Visit Peggy's
When questioned about memories of Peggy's, my husband of 29 years immediately recalled his first exposure to the infamous house across from the fairgrounds. In the late 60's he was in seventh grade and a tag-along with the FFA (Future Farmers of America) from a local high school. They were brought to the fair the day before it actually opened for the judging of the livestock. He tells that as soon as the bus came to a stop, all the older boys (Jr's & Sr's in High School) made a bee-line to the old house across the road. They were back just a little while later with long faces that reflected their rejection. They informed the little boys who weren't brave enough to go along that there was a sign on Peggy's door which said,"CLOSED--BEAT IT !"
