On the 1900 Oklahoma Territory Census for Oklahoma City, she was listed in the house overseen by Annie Wynn at 444 West 2nd (now Kerr between Hudson and Walker). The area was known as "Harlot's Row" due to both sides of the street being primarily filled with houses of ill-repute of both the major and the minor levels. Effie Fisher, like all the other women in the house, proudly identified as a "prostitute' on the survey.
At some point after 1900 and before 1903, she was given the task of managing "Big Anne's Place 444" at 444 West 2nd for the owner Annie Wynn. Wynn had several properties, covering a variety of businesses, across the city. It is clear that the property had been opened by another madam and known as "Clopton's Club." Daisy Clopton was a well known early Madam as well.
In 1903, Effie Fisher was assassinated by persons unknown as she sat in her bedroom conversing with one of the employees of the house, a woman named Sadie. The weapon used was a double barreled shotgun and she was killed instantly and the woman with her injured but not seriously. Just days before she had made a will and rather publically said if anything happened to her look to her ex-lover, Ed Filson. Filson was dually arrested and charged but the inquest jury acquitted him. He may be one of the 'Filson toughs' mentioned in a 1899 Guthrie newspaper. He had been shot the previous year in brawl by John Wilkins and in the same fight his brother was killed from a doorway by an unknown person who disappeared.
Effie's real name was Mary E. Taylor of Centrailia, Illinois and her father was named Eason Taylor. It is believe .Eason Taylor is the Husband of Sarah J Earls (daughter of James and Mary and sister of Margaret Earls Elifritz) father of William, Amanda, John, Mary, and Sarah after Sarah died he married Rachael Pryor and they had one son Edward after Rachaels death he married Mary J Cantrell and they had one daughter Rosalee.
Mary E. Taylor aka Effie Fisher was noted to have married a man named Henshaw in Missouri and then moved to Oklahoma where they divorced. This was possibly around the time of the Land Run in 1889.
According to local papers of the region, her father came to the City and escorted his daughter Effie's remains back to Centraila, Illinois for burial. ["Woman Assassinated" https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc150958/m1/4/zoom/?q=filson&resolution=0.9427448848807363&lat=3998.5208203732764&lon=2368.1101110285017]
Effie's real name was Mary E. Taylor of Centrailia, Illinois and her father was named Eason Taylor. It is believe .Eason Taylor is the Husband of Sarah J Earls (daughter of James and Mary and sister of Margaret Earls Elifritz) father of William, Amanda, John, Mary, and Sarah after Sarah died he married Rachael Pryor and they had one son Edward after Rachaels death he married Mary J Cantrell and they had one daughter Rosalee.
Mary E. Taylor aka Effie Fisher was noted to have married a man named Henshaw in Missouri and then moved to Oklahoma where they divorced. This was possibly around the time of the Land Run in 1889.
According to local papers of the region, her father came to the City and escorted his daughter Effie's remains back to Centraila, Illinois for burial. ["Woman Assassinated" https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc150958/m1/4/zoom/?q=filson&resolution=0.9427448848807363&lat=3998.5208203732764&lon=2368.1101110285017]
In a previous post I offered the theory that the famous ghost of the Skirvin Hotel might really be Effie. The risqué actions of the alleged ghost seem to be the playfully frank actions of a woman of the world rather than the housemaid done wrong of the local legend. What with all that nasty urban renewal that destroyed all her old stomping grounds, what else was a girl to do but find somewhere elegant and sophisticated to stay? http://mystorical.blogspot.com/2014/05/skirvin-hotel-effie-ghost-and-theory.html
--c Marilyn A. Hudson, 2015, updated 2020
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