October Speaker Series: The Geography of Vice in Lancaster a Century Ago

Date: Wednesday, October 15, 2025
Time: Doors open at 6:00 PM; presentation begins at 6:30 PM
Location: Sehner-Ellicott-von Hess House, 123 North Prince Street, Lancaster, PA
Admission: By donation
Seating: Limited to 40 attendees – registration strongly encouraged!

Lancaster’s Surprising Past

Today, Lancaster is known for its historic architecture, rich cultural traditions, and small-town charm. But a century ago, it carried a very different reputation. Around the turn of the 20th century, Lancaster was considered a “wide open” town—a place where commercial sex, gambling, and drinking weren’t just tolerated, but actively encouraged. Police officers, city officials, and other local leaders often participated in and profited from these vices.

This lesser-known side of Lancaster’s past comes into sharp focus in our October Speaker Series presentation: “The Geography of Vice in Lancaster a Century Ago.”

About the Presentation

Leading the evening’s program is Dr. Alison Kibler, professor at Franklin & Marshall College and founder of the Lancaster Vice Project. Drawing on archival research and years of study, Kibler will reveal how the geography of vice shaped Lancaster City—and the surrounding countryside—over a hundred years ago.

• Where were the “red light” districts?

• How did gambling and drinking establishments overlap with areas of racial segregation?

• And how did the crackdown on commercial sex in the early 20th century reshape the city’s social landscape?

These questions—and more—will guide Kibler’s illustrated talk, offering attendees a rare glimpse into a Lancaster few realize ever existed.

About Alison Kibler

For more than twenty years, Alison Kibler has taught at Franklin & Marshall College, specializing in the history of American popular culture and civil rights. She has written extensively about commercial entertainment around 1900 and about the campaigns to integrate swimming pools in Lancaster and York.

Her most recent work, the Lancaster Vice Project, draws from the anti-vice investigation files of 1913 and 1916 housed at LancasterHistory. Together with F&M students, Kibler has mapped and documented the surprising scope of vice in Lancaster, bringing to life a forgotten chapter of the city’s past.

Beyond the Lecture

The Lancaster Vice Project also offers walking tours that connect today’s streets with yesterday’s stories, including:

• The Backstreet Brothel Tour – tracing the city’s commercial sex industry in the early 1900s.

• The Brew-Haha Tour – exploring the breweries, distilleries, and Prohibition-era stories that defined Lancaster’s underground drinking culture.

While this evening’s talk will stand on its own, it also offers an introduction to the larger world of research and storytelling that Kibler and her team have developed.

Join Us

Don’t miss this chance to uncover the hidden geography of Lancaster’s past. Seating is limited to just 40 attendees, so advance registration is strongly encouraged.

📅 Wednesday, October 15, 2025
🕕 Doors open at 6:00 PM | Presentation begins at 6:30 PM
📍 Sehner-Ellicott-von Hess House, 123 North Prince Street, Lancaster, PA
🎟️ Admission: By donation

Step back in time with us—and discover a Lancaster that was once anything but quiet.