<P> A red - light district is a part of an urban area where a concentration of prostitution and sex - oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, and adult theaters are found . Areas in many big cities around the world have acquired an international reputation as red - light districts . </P> <P> The term red - light district originates from the red lights that were used as signs of brothels . </P> <P> According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the earliest known appearance of the term "red light district" in print is in an 1894 article from the Sandusky Register, a newspaper in Sandusky, Ohio . Author Paul Wellman suggests that this and other terms associated with the American Old West originated in Dodge City, Kansas, home to a well - known prostitution district during the 19th century, which included the Red Light House saloon . This has not been proven, but the Dodge City use was likely responsible for the term becoming pervasive . A widespread folk etymology claims that early railroad workers took red lanterns with them when they visited brothels so their crew could find them in the event of an emergency . However, folklorist Barbara Mikkelson regards this as unfounded . </P>

Where did the term red light district come from
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