Eleanor Dumont
{{Short description|American gambler (c. 1829–1879)}}
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{{Infobox person
| name = Eleanor Dumont
| image = Eleanore dumont.jpg
| occupation = Gambler
| birth_date = c. 1829
| birth_place = France or New Orleans, Louisiana, US
| death_date = 1879 (aged 49-50)
| death_place = Bodie, California, US
| other_names = Madame Moustache, Simone Jules
}}
Eleanor Dumont (born Simone Jules; c. 1829–1879), also called Eleonore Alphonsine Dumant, was a notorious gambler on the American Western Frontier, especially during the California Gold Rush. She was also known by her nickname Madame Moustache due to the appearance of a line of dark hair on her upper lip.
Life
The background of Eleanor Dumont is unconfirmed. She arrived at Nevada City, California in 1854. At this point, she appeared to be 20 years old, had taken on the name Eleanor Dumont, and capitalized on the fascination for French women prevalent in the West. In reality, however, she was likely born as Simone Jules in 1829, possibly by French Creole parents in New Orleans.{{cite book |last=Jensen |first=Vickie |date=2011 |title=Women Criminals: An Encyclopedia of People and Issues |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pk6Bo68G4OkC |location=Santa Barbara |page=387 |publisher=ABC-Clio |isbn=9780313068263}}
=Gambling=
In Nevada City, California, Dumont opened a gambling parlor named Vingt-et-un on Broad Street. She was described as an accomplished card dealer, and made a living from twenty-one and other casino games. Only well-kept men were allowed in, and no women except for herself. Reportedly, men admired her for her beauty and charm, but she kept them all at a distance. She flirted, but only to attract customers. Men came from all around to see the rarity of "the woman dealer". The parlor was successful, and Dumont went into business with Dave Tobin, an experienced gambler. They opened Dumont's Place, which was successful until gold started to dry up in Nevada City, and in 1859, she sold the Dumont Gambling Palace and left Tobin and Nevada City.{{cite book |last=Rutter |first=Michael |date=2005 |title=Upstairs Girls: Prostitution in the American West |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A2r6YITTcj8C |location=Helena, Montana |publisher=Farcounty Press |page=199 |isbn=9781560373575}}
Moving from place to place, she was reported to work in Bodie, California; Deadwood, South Dakota; Fort Benton, Montana; Pioche, Nevada; Tombstone, Arizona; and San Francisco, California. She moved around from city to city, gambling and building her money again.{{Cite web |last=Alexandra |first=Rae |date=January 25, 2022 |orig-date=January 25, 2022 |title=The Pistol-Packing Gold Rush Gambler Who Beat Men at Their Own Game {{!}} KQED |url=https://www.kqed.org/arts/13908327/the-pistol-packing-gold-rush-gambler-who-beat-men-at-their-own-game |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221205114607/https://www.kqed.org/arts/13908327/the-pistol-packing-gold-rush-gambler-who-beat-men-at-their-own-game |archive-date=December 5, 2022 |access-date=August 29, 2024 |website=www.kqed.org |language=en}} During her time in Bannack, Montana, her famous moustache began to grow, after which she was given the nickname of "Madame Moustache". She continued to attract crowds as a gambler and had a long-standing reputation for dealing fair.
=Brothel madam=
Dumont added prostitution to her repertoire during the 1860s when she became the madam of a brothel. She kept brothels in many of the cities she visited as a gambler. To promote her business, she paraded her employees around town in carriages, showing off their beauty in broad daylight, much to the dislike of non-prostitute women.
In 1870, she bought a ranch and some animals in Carson City, Nevada. It was there that she fell in love with Jack McKnight, who conned her out of all of her money and left her in 1872.
=Death=
Dumont's last stop was Bodie, California. One night while gambling, she misjudged a play and suddenly owed a lot of money. That night, she wandered outside of town and was found dead on September 8, 1879 of an overdose of morphine, apparently a suicide.{{Cite news |date=1879-09-09 |title=Eleanore Dumont – Madame Mustache Plays to the West – Legends of America|work=Bodie Morning News |url=https://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-eleanoredumont/ |access-date=2022-05-08}}
References
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External links
- {{cite web |title=The Death of Madame Mustache: Bodie's Most Celebrated Inhabitant |url=http://www.bodiehistory.com/madame.htm |access-date=2011-01-04 |first=Michael H. |last=Piatt |date=March 2009}}
- {{cite web |title=Eleanore Dumont - Madame Mustache Plays to the West |url=http://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-eleanoredumont.html |date=January 2011 |first=Kathy |last=Weiser |access-date=2012-03-21}}
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Category:People of the American Old West
Category:French emigrants to the United States
Category:American brothel owners and madams