Cheyenne, Wyoming has been the frontier of entertainment since the mid-1860s. At the heart of it all stood McDaniel’s Theatre, affectionately known as “Mac’s”—a standalone spectacle that catered to the pioneering spirit of marvels, mischief, and magnetic performance.
The Barnum of the West
James McDaniel, Cheyenne’s self-styled impresario, arrived in 1867 with a flair for the dramatic and a knack for showmanship. Dubbed the “Barnum of the West,” McDaniel built more than a theatre—he built an empire of entertainment. He owned a block on Pioneer Avenue, which housed a gambling saloon, a museum of curiosities, and the infamous “House of Mirrors,” Cheyenne’s most elegant brothel.
Inside Mac’s, audiences were treated to a rotating cast of oddities and allure: risqué stereographs, traveling Shakespeare troupes, operatic interludes, and burlesque performances that blurred the line between art and provocation. McDaniel’s marketing teased sophistication and titillation in equal measure—frescoed views of Naples on the walls, and a 7-foot-tall English “giantess” on the stage.
Ida’s House of Mirrors
Just steps from the theatre stood the House of Mirrors, built in 1878 by businesswoman Ida Hamilton for a staggering $8,000, with another $6,000 spent on lavish furnishings. Its name came from the towering mirrors that flanked the foyer—designed not just to impress, but to disorient and dazzle. Guests entered a world of velvet drapes, imported furnishings, and women selected for their charm, wit, and conversational prowess. This wasn’t a hurried transaction—it was an experience. A place where “gentlemen” were expected to act the part, and where the line between pleasure and performance blurred into something theatrical.
Located at 209 West 18th Street, the two-story brick mansion featured towering mirrors in the foyer, velvet drapes, and imported décor. It was Cheyenne’s most elegant brothel—designed not for secrecy, but for spectacle.
Ida Hamilton herself was a force: a saloon owner, entrepreneur, and frequent figure in Cheyenne’s municipal court on prostitution charges. She traded property titles with fellow madam Jenny Mortimer, likely to shield assets from legal seizure as the city cracked down on vice. But for a time, the House of Mirrors stood tall—literally and figuratively—as a symbol of frontier indulgence.
The brothel’s proximity to McDaniel’s Theatre wasn’t accidental. Together, they formed a block of curated spectacle: opera, oddities, burlesque, and bordello. Patrons could move from Shakespearean soliloquies to satin-sheeted rendezvous without leaving the block. It was immersive entertainment, Cheyenne-style.
Hamilton ran the establishment until around 1883, when ownership transferred to her business partner Collingswood Boulton (aka Charles Boulter). During its heyday, the House of Mirrors stood behind the Opera House, beside the Baptist Church, and across from the Presbyterian Church—a literal and symbolic juxtaposition of vice and virtue.
In 1878, Hamilton also traded portions of the property with fellow madam Jenny Mortimer, likely to shield assets from legal seizure or manage mounting court costs. Hamilton was frequently cited in Cheyenne’s municipal court for prostitution charges, yet her establishment remained a fixture of the town’s red-light district until the crackdown on vice began in the early 1900s.
Burlesque in Boomtown
Mac’s offered a stage where performers could dazzle with wit, costume, and charisma. Early burlesque saw women performing characters of all genders and blending comedy with risqué topics such as women’s rights. These early shows mixed vaudeville, parody, and sensuality, drawing crowds from Fort Collins to Denver who came for the spectacle and stayed for the stories!
The theatre’s blend of bawdy humor and high drama mirrored the contradictions of Cheyenne itself: a place where cowboys rubbed shoulders with conmen, and where a night at Mac’s could mean opera, oddities, or a flirtation with the forbidden.
Miss Annie Corella, “the beautiful burlesque artist”, was advertised in the Democratic Leader in April 1870. The paper listed various costume changes that dazzled the audience.
A few days later The Democratic Leader reported Alf. Burnett and Troupe performed at Mac’s. Mr. Burnett played Our Olive “a side-splitting burlesque of the works and stage acts of the masculine female of the present day…” The night ended with a series of impersonations where multiple actors completed quick changes – rapidly changing characters to the audience’s delight. (April 9, 1870)
Bishop’s Burlesque Opera Troupe performed at Mac’s in May of 1870.
The comedian M.B. Leaavitt, along with an English burlesque dancer and singer, Hattie Forrest, performed in a variety show in July 1870. “They have a reputation of artists of a high order of merit…”
Olive Logan, a burlesque actress, performed her act entitled “Girls”. It was all around a good show with jokes and “just a little spice of wisdom.” However, the Democratic Leader’s reporter had a clear bias as to ‘women’s rights fanatics’.
“Altogether it was a good entertainment, and listened to with pleasure. As to the propriety of a lady forsaking the realm of home, where so many of these ‘women’s rights’ fanatics might so much more fittingly preside, we have little to say. Our opinions are well understood on this point.”
He continues on his rant:
“When woman forsakes the modest graces of that sphere for which God made her to be the ruler and queen, and as such, adored by man, and assumes the brazen air and position of a lecturer, we confess we lose much of that respect and spirit of gallantry, which usually exists for the sex, in the hearts of ‘those great, horrid men!”
– The Democratic Leader. “Olive Logan.” Page 4. July 29, 1870
A Legacy on Fire
McDaniel’s Theatre suffered multiple fires in the late 19th century, and while McDaniel rebuilt, the theatre eventually lost prominence to newer venues. By the early 20th century, the original block was razed, and today, the Jack Spiker Parking Garage occupies the site. The echoes of Mac’s and the House of Mirrors remain—etched into Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, court records, and the whispered lore of Cheyenne’s “Hell on Wheels” era.
Sources
Newspapers
- The Democratic Leader. “Olive Logan.” Page 4. July 29, 1870
- The Democratic Leader. Ad for McDaniel’s Theatre. Page 4. July 23, 1869
- The Democratic Leader. Annie Corella. Page 4. April 4, 1870
- The Democratic Leader. “McDaniel’s Theatre.” Page 4. April 6, 1870
- The Democratic Leader. “Alf. Burnett.” Page 4. April 9, 1870
- The Democratic Leader. “Bishop’s Burlesque Opera Troupe” Page 4. May 5, 1870
- The Democratic Leader. M.B. Leavitt and Hattie Forrest. Page 4. July 5, 1870
Websites
- https://kgab.com/cheyenne-history-the-mcdaniels-theatre-is-now-the-spiker-parking-garage/
- https://www.cheyenne.org/blog/post/cheyennes-greatest-showman/
- https://kingfm.com/the-history-of-brothels-in-wyoming/
- https://www.facebook.com/WyomingStateArchives/posts/2746988188681812/
- https://kingfm.com/the-bob-tail-district-cheyennes-most-infamous-houses-of-ill-repute/
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