In far southeastern Kansas, the discovery of lead created the boom town of Bonanza almost overnight. Another vein of lead ore was discovered in March 1877 near Galena. Within 30 days, witnesses estimated 10,000 people poured into the area.

By late June, the leadzinc ore boom of southeast Kansas was raging.

A rival town known as Empire City was set up just north of Galena.

Galena sought a post office from the U.S. government, as did Empire City. The nearby rural post office of Leedsville had been in place for some time when Empire City moved to take possession of the office, but Galena beat them to it, securing a post office for their town and receiving orders from the government to take possession of the Leedsville post office.

In the meantime, Empire City was laying claim to Leedsville. The Galena postmaster and several Galena citizens arrived to take claim of the postal facility. Guns were flashed by those in possession of the office, with the admonition to return to Galena posthaste. So, the Galena contingency took possession of another rural post office by the name of Chico. The federal government ended up sending a man to sort things out and both towns were awarded post offices.

Excitement ran high as July 4, 1877, arrived.

Empire City threw a barbecue, complete with speeches and fireworks.

Twenty-five thousand people attended, where only a few weeks earlier, a quiet pastoral scene would have given no hint of events to come.

Within a few years, over 300 mines were established in the area.

Thirty thousand miners worked the mines. It was said that a quarter of all the lead and zinc mined in the world came from southeast Kansas.

Miss Irene G. Stone wrote, “It seemed to be a time when there was no other attraction of the kind, and those who had been through the California and other discoveries of valuable ores claimed never to have seen so large a collection of the tough element as was gathered in this territory at that time. The gambler, the fakir, the confidence man, the saloon-keeper and the frail woman were masters of the situation, the ‘bon ton’ as it were, and nothing but the fear of each other prevented absolute lawlessness and the shedding of blood.”

Into the cauldron of frontier mining chaos came Nancy “Ma” Steffleback. She and Charlie Wilson put up a “hotel” in Galena, where a man could obtain all that he desired. Ma Steffleback’s brothel became a very popular place as miners crowded in to partake of alcoholic beverage and feminine companionship.

Many of the men that frequented the Steffleback house carried large sums of money or even better, gold. Ma proceeded to work out a plan with a working girl by the name of Cora. Ma trusted Cora. If a man displayed his money carelessly, it was the lady’s duty to get him drunk enough to waylay him. Charlie Wilson or one of Ma’s sons were always ready to smash in his head with a wellplaced ax. The bodies were dumped in empty mine shafts, reminiscent of the Bender murders of Cherryvale.

They say the Steffleback outfit murdered at least 50 men in that way. They were careful to select a newcomer who would not be missed. No one might ever have known of the murders if Ma hadn’t argued with Cora. In a fit of anger, she threw the young woman out on the street.

Cora went straight to authorities with her story and soon Ma, the boys and Charlie were in jail. The officers nearly had to release their suspects when their searches for victims turned up empty. They searched for the stolen loot and also came up empty-handed. Just as they were about to give up, the body of a miner by the name of Frank Galbreath was found.

Ma Steffleback, Charlie and two of Ma’s sons were convicted. Ma served her time in the Kansas State Women’s Prison at Lansing. She continued to believe that she would be pardoned and never spoke of the missing loot taken from the missing miners. She died in prison on a cold March day in 1909. They say you can’t take it with you, but Ma Steffleback kept her secret anyway.

The location of Ma Steffleback’s treasure wasn’t the only riddle to be unraveled. The story of the glamorous Steffleback Brothel was a local legend that refused to die. Many believed the old bordello was still standing in the form of a dilapidated house that was about to be torn down. A petition drive saved the house, and Galena’s Murder Bordello has been restored and furnished with period furniture. Whether or not the building was the actual scene of the Steffleback murders, it has been gorgeously preserved to give the visitor a glimpse of the reckless side of life that could be found in a Kansas mining boom town on The Way West.

“The Cowboy” Jim Gray can be reached at 220 21st Rd., Geneseo, KS 67444, (785) 531-2058 or kansascowboy@kans.com.