Edna Milton Chadwell (1928-2012)
Remembering the last madam of the infamous Chicken Ranch
On this date in 2012, Edna Milton Chadwell, better known as Miss Edna, passed away at the age of 84 in Phoenix, Arizona, where she'd lived a life of quiet anonymity since the mid-1980s. She was the last madam of the infamous Chicken Ranch brothel in La Grange, Texas. You may be familiar with ZZ Top’s song about it, or the Broadway musical, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, which was later turned into a movie starring Dolly Parton and Burt Reynolds.
Her final days were tragic. The previous October (or September--my memory is imprecise) she was involved in a car wreck that left her hospitalized with an array of injuries. From what I understand, her memory was affected, and her brain stopped converting short-term memory into long. In practical terms, it meant somebody could introduce themselves and begin a conversation with her, but five minutes later she'd have no recollection. Over the previous three years—2009-2012—I felt I'd gotten to know her as much as any person alive today who wasn't related to her. She enthusiastically supported my book project and graciously invited my wife and myself into her home for hours of interviews. It is my everlasting regret that I did not complete the book in time for her to have her own copy.
If you are curious about the real history behind the Chicken Ranch (believe it or not, the movie is not a documentary) then I invite you to visit my website, www.jaymeblaschke.com, which contains much additional information as well as links to various podcast interviews I’ve done over the years. Or, if you’re someone who prefers to cut to the chase, autographed copies of Inside the Texas Chicken Ranch: The Definitive Account of the Best Little Whorehouse are available here.
Miss Edna never lived the kind of life she'd wanted, but she still carved out a place in Texas history for herself. For that, her memory will endure.
