Showmen's Rest: final

"I used to tell them before I retired that if I drop dead in the ring, make it funny and get me out of there."  Thomas Sink, aka Popcorn the Clown, lived & breathed circus life for over 30 years. He didn't expect this to be his lifelong career, but said he just had a knack for it. Popcorn also participated in an oral history interview, which you can read here:  https://www.loc.gov/podcasts/america-works/transcripts/AmericaWorks-Podcast_Season3Episode6_transcription.pdf

Zefta Loyal said to her daughter one day, “Dolly, I will retire center ring. I will never stay long enough to where I’m going to be in the side ring.” And that's just what she did. She retired in 1954 after nearly 30 years a center ring star. "I was center ring from the day I went in until the day I retired.”

Known as "Queen of the Bareback Riders" she was a member of the original Loyal-Repensky Troup, a family who performed amazing bareback horse riding stunts. For another interesting oral history, click here:   https://www.loc.gov/item/2017655385/

Circus folks aren't the only celebrities buried at Mt. Olivet. There's another section called Bull Rider's Reprieve. Several champion rodeo & bull riders are buried here. We were particularly interested in finding Todd Whatley's grave because an elderly friend of ours used to be a rodeo clown and knew Mr. Whatley.

Here are a few snapshots of some other headstones and interesting inscriptions, epitaphs to their life's work.

And finally, as a fitting close to my collection here, the inscription reads:

We have had the good life but the season ended.

Showmen's Rest: part 3

Welcome to the third installment of Showmen's Rest. This is a collection of photos from Mt. Olivet Cemetery's section of memorials to people who lived the circus life.

Dudley Warner Hamilton, born in 1929, was once a state highway patrolman, a bread truck driver, and he bred and showed champion Collies. He didn't actually get into the circus life until he was in his 50s! He began as a booking agent, then press agent. In his golden years, he became the groundskeeper of the winter quarters for the Kelly-Miller Circus in Hugo. He gave a very interesting oral history that you can read here:  https://www.loc.gov/item/2017655374/  His epitaph reads: May all your days be circus days.

"Big John Strong" has one of the biggest and most intriguing monuments in the cemetery. He got into the circus life the same way most others did back in the day - with a small animal act. John wanted to be an actor. Maybe that didn't work out or maybe his long desire to have his own circus took precedence. As newlyweds, the 6-foot-5-inch John and his young bride, Ruth, trained a dog and a pony and took their little show on the road from Hollywood in 1948. Within 15 years, they had one of the biggest 3-ring tented shows around. On the reverse side of the monument is etched: "Big John" The man with more friends than Santa Claus.

"Buckles" Woodcock was born in a circus family. His father was a legendary elephant trainer. The Anna May you see written on the center of the monument was not his wife or daughter. Anna Mae was one of the country's most famous elephants, acquired by William and trained by Buckles. She was even in the 1955 film, The Big Circus. His wife, Barbara, was an aerialist and leopard trainer. You can read more about this family of elephant experts and circus historians at this page: 

https://www.circusesandsideshows.com/performers/buckleswoodcock.html

John Carroll was an elephant trainer for many years. It seems he didn't have any family. When he died in an accident, his friends put his money into a trust fund. It was established to pay for funerals and burial plots for circus people.

Not all the headstones are elaborate. James O'Donnell's simply reads Acrobat and Clown.

Bonnie Warner's is just a flat stone in the ground. Underneath her photo it reads Chimp Trainer.

There are just a few more photos to show. Check back for the final post.

Showmen's Rest: part 2

Here is another wide shot of part of Showmen's Rest. Can you spot the the ghostly additions? Some are actual images of items related to the Kelly-Miller and Carson & Barnes circuses.

Herbie Weber, The Great Huberto, was in demand and performed with many circuses. He also appeared on Broadway in "Around the World in 80 Days" and in the movie "The Big Circus." He showed off on the low-wire, walking, running, jumping, and dancing across the wire.  He would walk up an incline wire to the top of the tent and slide backwards to the bottom. He would also fake a fall by attempting a jump and dramatically falling from the wire. His wife and the ringmaster would run to him begging him not to try again. He would do it anyway, succeeding, and bring the audience to their feet cheering.

This is the headstone of Albert Louis Vonderheid (and family?) The family name is etched in a festive circus style font. I really can't find information about him, but I think the monument does tell us a little about his life. Member of the United Zoological Assemblies. Other names listed are Maria Louise, National Park Ranger and Susan Annette, Circus Performer & School Teacher. The Riding Conleys and Circus Tow Truck are also mentioned. The quote says, Life on the road was our adventure, Circus or National Parks.

 

It was a lovely October day when we visited. Here's a closing shot. There's more to see so come back for part 3!

Showmen's Rest: part 1 Introduction

 
In a little town called Hugo, in southeast Oklahoma, is a most unlikely site. It's a portion of Mt. Olivet cemetery named Showmen's Rest. It's the final resting place for circus owners and performers, most of whom lived in Hugo during the off season. Their granite memorials are unique tributes to people who must have loved the nomadic circus life. Scattered throughout the cemetery are smaller monuments topped with an elephant. A large memorial pays tribute to "all showmen under God's big top."(next photo)

I love interesting architecture, and architecture & landscape photography. Cemeteries can be a treasure trove of both, particularly the old ones back east. Since Oklahoma has only been settled a little over 100 years, our resting places are rather plain. To discover Showmen's Rest right here on the prairie was a pleasant surprise.

I am normally not into "dark" things, but I was inspired by the artwork of the new streaming show, "1883" and the work of a photographer who lives where I grew up. She does interesting composites of the grand cemeteries and other landscapes in that area (find her on Facebook - Whispered Tales of the Ohio Valley).  I've always wanted to try my hand at that and so here begins a series of blogs with composited photos from Mt. Olivet's Showmen's Rest. Look closely to find some ghostly images from the past.

Hugo, for some reason, became a popular winter headquarters for traveling circuses. In fact, even today, two still winter here, Carson & Barnes and Kelly-Miller.

Born in 1886, Obert Miller started with a small dog and pony act on the vaudeville circuit. The Miller family performed most of the acts and the small circus was successful in its early stages. Obert and his sons, Kelly & Dorey, purchased canvas and hand sewed a 40' x70' tent. The family created the animal acts, sold tickets, did their own bookkeeping, performed a wire act, trapeze work, and clowned. They moved about by a straight body truck, one semi and a pick-up. You may be thinking, "must have been a big family!" but from what I've read, it was just  Obert, his wife, two sons and their wives! Started in 1937, by 1950 the Kelly-Miller circus was one of the country's major motorized circuses. I'm assuming they added more staff and other acts, too!

Jack Moore was co-founder of the Carson & Barnes Circus. He also started with a small animal act. In 1952, he moved his family to Hugo where he met Dorey Miller (son of Obert). They formed a partnership where Miller leased tents, equipment, and Mabel the elephant to Moore. Now a larger circus, he called his show the Tex Carson Circus. 

Jack, his wife and four children all worked and performed in the circus. In '58, he renamed it to the present Carson & Barnes Circus. I cannot figure out how Carson or Barnes fits in, but the circus still performs and winters in Hugo. 

Scroll down to the next headstone; its owner is also linked to C&B. No wonder circus people feel like family - they're all somehow linked by blood and business!

Ted Bowman worked for a few other circuses before settling with Carson & Barnes where he was general manager for 17 years. Under the circus wagon wheel that makes up his headstone it sadly reads, There's nothing left but empty popcorn sacks and wagon tracks - the circus is gone.

That concludes the introduction. Stay tuned for part 2!