Word Quickly Spreads GALVESTON (1865) On this date in 1865, Major General Gordon Granger occupying Galveston at the time, issued General Order Number 3 informing the people of Texas that in accordance with the Emmancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln, "all slaves are free." Word quickly spread from Galveston throughout Texas. The date of June 19th will forevermore be marked as "Juneteenth", the day the slaves were freed.
Entertainment Desk Whorehouse opens on Broadway NEW YORK CITY (1978) On this date in 1978, New York City was appalled by bus ads that read "Have You Seen the Whorehouse". But it was all to draw attention to Larry L King's new musical "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" which opened at the 46th Street Theatre on this date in 1978. The musical ran 1584 performances before closing on March 27, 1982. Larry L King is also known for his many books include "The Night Hank Williams Died".
In many parts of the country "Whorehouse" was still considered obscene, so the musical was marketed as "The Best Little Boarding House in Texas". Dolly Pardon, who played Miss Mona in the movie version would also refer to it as "The Best Little Chicken Ranch in Texas".
The term "Chicken Ranch" was the name given the actual brothel outside of La Grange, when, during the Depression, customers, not able to pay cash for services rendered, brought chickens instead. Accounts were settled and the name stuck.