Note: If you run across an old song with the phrase "Ladies Of The Town" then you can be sure it is refering to ladies of the night. That is the old term.

There is a wonderful book about the murder of a young whore in New York in 1824 (I think). The book goes into detail on the trade as well as the life of the young woman in question and her murderer. I found it in a library but it is a very well written book.