Etymology of "broad" = [approx.] "gal"

[Marc Velasco]

http://www.talkinbroadway.com/bway101/1.html

According to the site above, the number of theatres on Broadway went from 70
to 280 during the early decades of the 1900's. So such an explosion of
growth is almost sure to have a few neologisms coincident.  So that's a
contextual factor.

*

In other news:

Not an antedating, but the usage is suggestive.
http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&id=P5MdAAAAMAAJ&dq=children+of+the+whirlwind+leroy+scott&printsec=frontcover&source=web&ots=xxKvrZRtP7&sig=zPWH3DbVnCOO0r6tzs7zGIKOfTk&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#PPA139,M1

There's a usage of  _broadway girl_  which seems to be a  subset of a  "new
york girl," apparently ranked in order of preference.  (1921)

"Captain, I've recently met a new girl--and believe me, she's a knock-out!"

"Better keep clear of those show girls, Dick."

"Never again! The last one cured me for life. Miss Cameron--MaggieCameron,
how's that for a name?--is no Broadway girl, Captain. She's not even a New
York girl."

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