Editing Sedalia, Missouri (section)

===Late 19th century===
[[File:Sedalia Ruger Map 1869.jpg|right|thumb|Sedalia in 1869]]
While the Civil War delayed development of the town in some respects, Sedalia was the terminus of the railroad for three years. Once the war was over, many of the thousands of Union soldiers who had been stationed more or less permanently at Sedalia and recognized its potential, made the choice to migrate there from their former homes in other areas. The population grew rapidly.<ref>Ihrig, et al., 1960, p.13.</ref>

In the late 19th century, Sedalia was well known as a center of vice, especially prostitution, which accompanied its large floating class of railroad workers and commercial travelers. In 1877 the ''[[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]]'' called Sedalia the "[[Sodom and Gomorrah]] of the nineteenth century."{{citation needed|date=July 2019}} Middle-class businessmen made money off illegal prostitution as building owners and lessees; others did business with people in the industry, who banked, used lawyers, etc., in town. Residents were reluctant to raise taxes and services were provided from the [[fine (penalty)|fine]]s charged to prostitutes.{{citation needed|date=July 2019}}

In the 1870s brothels were distributed throughout the city, but in the 1890s, they became more concentrated above businesses on West Main Street, as the middle class tried to isolate less desirable elements in town.<ref>Whites (2004), "Ladies of the Evening," pp. 155-157</ref> These establishments also employed musicians, particularly piano players, contributing to a thriving musical culture. It fostered the development of many artists, including the renowned ragtime composer [[Scott Joplin]].