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!