Pendleton, OR

The bawdy town of Pendleton was once famous for its bootlegging and brothels, 18 in all. The most popular was the Cozy Rooms, and its madam was Stella Darby, who ran it from 1928 until she retired in 1967. At the time the town was glad to see her go -- but as the years passed the town's opinion of Stella softened from condemnation to acceptance to appreciation.

On August 27, 2014, Pendleton unveiled a life-size bronze statue of Stella outside the former entrance to her Main Street bordello. Sculpted by retired local art teacher Randy Gundlach, the metallic Darby wears oriental lounge attire and high heels.