M.A. Kleen

Isabelle Scott lived in Mattoon, Illinois from 1902 until her death in 1907. She died of tuberculosis at the young age of 30-32. In those short years, Isabelle was the notorious madam of a brothel on what was then called Railroad Street/Cottage Avenue. She rubbed elbows with notorious figures in Mattoon’s underworld, even a city alderman.

But who was she, really?

I came across this fascinating figure while researching Mattoon’s history for my book, Tales of Coles County, and later developed it into an essay for a nonfiction writing class at George Mason University.

Unfortunately, I don’t live in Illinois anymore and am only able to visit once a year, if that, so my time to visit Mattoon to conduct research is severely limited.

There are many local genealogists, researchers, and public servants who have tried to help me over the years, and I believe I’ve exhausted all public sources of information on this person. I’ve scoured sites like newspapers.com, ancestry.com, and findagrave.com looking for clues.

I’ve finally hit a dead end.

Isabelle Scott was a real person. She lived a tragic life full of questionable choices, but at the same time she carved a successful place in a criminal underworld dominated by men. When she died, the local newspaper devoted a three paragraph obituary to her.

But we don’t know where she came from, where and when she was born, what she looked like, what led her down the path she chose, or even whether Isabelle Scott was her birth name or an alias.

If you are related to or know anything about the following people who were known associates or acquaintances of Isabelle’s, I would love to hear from you! I am looking for photos, letters, diaries, documents, records, or anything that might help fill in the puzzle.

• Isabelle Scott (b.1877?-d.1907)
• Thomas D. Fulton (b.1856-d.1936)
• William Henry “Colonel Bill” Knight (b.1866-d.1913)
• Charles T. Welch (b.1868-d.1924)
• Dean H. Burchill (b.1872-d.1917?)
• Flora Welch Horine/Buchanan (b.1870-d.1924)
• Anna Cobble Rauch (b.1883-d.1948)
• Mabel Elizabeth Igo (b.1884-d.1945)
• Lillian “Queen Lil” Butler Brown (??)
• Nellie Evans (??)

One thing I’m certain of – somewhere in an attic or basement, someone has photos, letters, a diary, or something that is the final piece of the puzzle to answer the question. Who was Isabelle Scott?