Cottontail Ranch, Legal brothel at Lida Junction, Nevada
Cottontail Ranch was a legal establishment near Lida Junction consisting of multiple trailers arranged to provide parlor, residential, and entertainment spaces. The facility sat beside U.S. Route 95 and State Route 266 in Nevada's desert landscape.
The establishment opened in October 1967 and gained attention during the 1970s when madam Beverly Harrell challenged federal authorities over land usage rights. Operations ceased in 2004 following Harrell's retirement, and the structure burned down in September 2022.
Beverly Harrell released a vinyl record titled 'Coming My Way' in 1976, featuring stories from the employees working at the Cottontail Ranch.
This location no longer exists and can only be visited through historical accounts and local knowledge of the region. The nearby highways and surrounding desert offer context for understanding this chapter of Nevada's past.
Billionaire Howard Hughes visited the establishment privately, flying in on his personal pilot's plane to a nearby dirt airstrip. The pilot Robert Deiro later confirmed this visit and that Hughes met with an employee named Sunny.
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