During the California Gold Rush, women were scarce; in 1850, women only made up 8% of the gold-seeking population. The lack of women created an urgency to restore the gender balance in gold mining towns.
Travel arrangements improved, and it became easier for women to travel to California. Word spread that there were many job opportunities for women in the gold fields and communities.
The greatest opportunities for ladies, though, were reserved for 'entertainers' whose travel fare was often paid for by their potential employers. Once these women showed up in California, they were hired by saloons, gambling halls, dance halls, peep shows, and brothels. Initially, these ladies made up the majority of the female population.
Single men started writing to female acquaintances they knew, and this long-distance dating led to many marriage proposals being accepted. As soon as the bride-to-be set foot in California, they were rushed off to a preacher to get married immediately.
Miners starved for female "companionship" paid extravagant fees just to be in female company or to buy products that were made by women. Woman making and selling home-made pies often made more money than men did mining! Women offered services like doing laundry, running restaurants, mending, and waiting tables, and all those paid good wages.
