Located halfway between Austin and Houston is a small city with a bad reputation. La Grange has fewer than six thousand residents and sits on tdhe Colorado River. The county courthouse and quilt museum are currently big attractions. But as Texans know, the Chicken Ranch is what La Grange is famous for. That story is deeply embedded in Texas lore.
But La Grange is lobbying hard for a new reputation.
“It’s not a popular subject,” explained Karey Bresenhan, who runs the Texas Quilt Museum. “They don’t really want La Grange to be defined by the Chicken Ranch.”
The original Chicken Ranch brothel was shut down in 1973 after an investigation by the famous Marvin Zindler of Houston. It has taken its place in Texas legends since then.
But if the town leaders have their way, their lobbying efforts to build a new reputation for the town as a tourist center and fine place to visit will be effective.