The.Circus.Breckinridge.HISTORY-OtherFrom: KyArchives [Archives@genrecords.org] Sent: Saturday, September 23, 2006 5:20 PM To: Ky-Footsteps Subject: The.Circus.Breckinridge.HISTORY-Other The Circus Breckinridge County KyArchives History Other Book Title: A Glimpse Of The Past Unlike the county fair where every one so desiring could participate in the program, the circus was for the entertainment of the audience who came and paid admission for themselves and family and expected nothing else for their investment. The young and old alike enjoyed a day at the circus. But the youngsters were the most appreciative. They saw the wonds of the world passing before their eyes and those things were lived over and over again in dreams and conversations and are yet cherished childhood memories of the aged. The circus has been a part of American tradition since our nation was born, and except in transportation and modern conveniences, few changes have been made in the methods of presentation of the circus. Wild animals from all parts of the world are shown and put through their routine acts as in the past. Animal acts, rope walking, flying trapeze, brass bands, clowns, hair raising stunts and all other acts seen today have been a part of every circus since their introduction to the world of entertainment. The number of circuses has diminished rapidly during the past fifty or so years. The cost of operation and the development of moving pictures, radio and television took away most of the audiences, forcing them out of business. The combined circus of Barnum Bailey and Ringling Brothers is the only one of note operating today, and its showing is confined to large metropolitan areas, where enough paying customers come to justify its continuance. Coles, Hogenback and Wallace and many other small circuses traveled the dirt roads and trails of Kentucky by wagon trains showing at county seats and small towns to a capacity crowd that had been influenced by the giant posters and advertising gimmicks that preceded their coming. Every old timer remembers the paragde before the opening show, led by the man at the calliope, followed by clowns, elephants, caged animals and the entire wgon-train and its personnel. These shows appeared at intervals throughout Kentucky during the early 1900s. But in keeping with the trend of modernization, the high cost of operation and the entertainment from other sources, they have vanished from the road, leaving only memories of what they used to be. Children have their television portraying all the glory of a circus in their living rooms, but I doubt if the television circus will stay with them when they become old, as the past circuses has with the older people living today. Submitted by: Dana Brown http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00005.html#0001067 This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/kyfiles/