Tag #wisconsincircuses

Its Friday which means we are celebrating a Wisconsin based circus. At one time circuses could be found all over Wisconsin. Chippewa Falls, in the northwestern corner of the state, was the home base for the Stark Bros. Circus. Chippewa Falls native Eli Nelson managed this three-ring motorized truck show. The Stark Bros. Circus boasted the Claud Fondau Aerial Act, heralded as an exceptionally high class trio. The show also featured pigs and goats walking the slack wire. By J...uly 1927, the show had lost its elephant to stomach ulcers and attendance was down enough that two trucks and several tents came home early. Records indicate that the Stark Bros. Circus traveled throughout 1928, with Eli Nelson even purchasing a new calliope for the show that year. Although he indicated plans to take the circus out again in 1929, no records exist that this actually happened. #circusworld #wisconsincircuses See more

We’re starting a new Friday series that will focus on some of the many Wisconsin circuses that have entertained audiences throughout the years. We hope you enjoy a glimpse into these shows! Sheboygan, WI natives Pete, Al, and Bill Lindemann spent over a decade as performers before putting together a circus under the title Lindemann Bros. and Yankee American Shows in 1919. Unlike many other railroad circuses of the time, the brothers decided to mount their show on trucks. Wo...rld War I had generated a surplus of vehicles that could be purchased cheaply, and many states were improving their roads to make it easier to reach smaller communities not accessible by rail. By 1926 the show boasted a program of 26 acts and many animals. The Lindemanns branched out to the upper Midwest and soon to some southern states. By 1937 the show had grown to a 4-ring circus with show grounds spread out over nine acres. But even the most successful show could see its luck turn on a dime. Weeks of bad weather early in the 1938 season kept audiences away and revenue dropped steeply. At the same time, several members of the Lindeman family were suffering health issues. After less than three months on the road, the Seils-Sterling Circus folded its tent for the last time. #circusworld #wisconsincircuses See more

This week’s Wisconsin circus featured a green bull what more could you ask for? Baraboo resident and lawyer John M. Kelley is known for serving as the personal attorney for the Ringling Brothers, but in 1924 he embarked on a project called Fun on the Farm with former Ringling Bros. Circus equestrian director John Agee. Kelley was involved in state politics and worked for local dairy interests, so the show featured circus acts with cows, bulls, and horses while promoting W...isconsin dairy and beef products. Newspapers advertised it as a combination circus, sideshow, and agricultural college. According to Kelley, the show had three purposes: community entertainment, introduce and advertise milk as a drink, and raise a battle against substitute dairy products like oleo. Although enjoyed by many Midwestern communities, Kelley discontinued the show after 1924. #circusworld #funonthefarmcircus #wisconsincircuses See more