Bullette, Julia (d. 1867)
Bullette, Julia (d. 1867)
English-born courtesan of Virginia City, Nevada, during the mining rush of the 1850s. Name variations: Julia Bulette. Born in London, England; died on January 20, 1867, in Virginia City, Nevada.
Julia Bullette, called the "Darling of the Com-stock," was one of the most popular courtesans of Virginia City, Nevada, where she settled in order to cash in on the Western mining boom of the 1850s. Known for her community-minded spirit, she helped pump water for the local fire brigade, the Virginia Engine Company No. 1, which rewarded her with an honorary membership and showered her with attention and gifts. When Bullette was robbed and murdered by the notorious thief John Millian in 1867, her body was reportedly carried to Flowery Hill Cemetery in a black-plumed hearse, followed by thousands of grieving miners on foot; bringing up the rear, the fire brigade played a solemn rendition of "The Girl I Left Behind Me." Millian, a native of France, was arrested a few months later and subsequently hanged for his crime. The white picket fence that surrounded Bullette's grave was supposedly moved 200 feet away from the site so lazy visitors could view it with binoculars from a bar in town.