LOCAL HISTORY WOODSTOCK & MCHENRY COUNTY
Woodstock and the Circus by Kirk Dawdy
Soon after its establishment in 1852 Woodstock became a consistent destination for circus shows. Several different outfits visited Woodstock over the years, including the Burr Robbins, Forepaugh, Cole, W.B. Reynolds, Gollmar Brothers, Ringling Brothers and Barnum circuses.
The first documented circus in Woodstock was “Yankee” Robinson’s Quadruple Show in October of 1856. Robinson, a direct descendant of Pastor John Robinson, religious leader of the "Pilgrim Fathers" who journeyed to North America aboard the Mayflower, established his first travelling circus in 1854, two years prior to visiting Woodstock. An ardent abolitionist, Robinson included in his circuses minstrel shows based on Harriet Beecher Stowe's 1852 book Uncle Tom’s Cabin. In fact, Robinson was the very first to ever take a dramatized version of Uncle Tom’s Cabin on the road.
In “Yankee” Robinson’s 1856 Woodstock visit, in addition to presenting a band of African-American minstrels performing in a production of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, he also exhibited live animals (including an elephant), a museum of curiosities, Dilly Fay the Shanghai Clown and Miss Paintero, a ‘Creole Lady’ who made a grand ascension on a 400 foot tightrope to the very top of the circus tent. Also advertised for “Yankee’s” visit was a grand parade around the Woodstock square. Circus parades were a crowd favorite and staple for all other circuses that visited Woodstock, weather permitting.
Feeling his name sounded too foreign, especially during the anti-immigrant sentiments of the mid-1850s, Fayette Lodawick Robinson adopted the professional name “Yankee”. However, just five years after visiting Woodstock, the moniker worked to his disadvantage. In October of 1859, the “Yankee” Robinson Circus were forced to flee Charleston, SC, leaving their tent and equipment behind after the abolitionist John Brown raided Harper's Ferry sparking outrage among Southerners.
“Yankee” Robinson’s Circus returned once more to Woodstock in June of 1868 and a decade later, in March of 1879 “Yankee” himself performed in a production of Uncle Tom’s Cabin in Murphy’s Hall on the south side of the Woodstock square.
From the mid-1850s and into the early part of the 20th Century, ‘Circus Day’ was by far the most popular source of live entertainment in Woodstock. Weeks before arriving, the square and surrounding country would be saturated with brilliantly colored lithographs advertising extraordinary animals, human curiosities, clowns, acrobats, trick riders and other amazing wonders not to be missed. Throughout town anticipation would be high, especially amongst the children. When the circus finally arrived, large crowds would gather to watch both the unloading of rail cars at the train depot and the setting up of the circus tents on the outskirts of town. Woodstock Sentinel - August 14, 1861
LOCAL HISTORY WOODSTOCK & MCHENRY COUNTY
Woodstock and the Circus p2
Not all of Woodstock’s citizens were merely circus spectators. The Hanna sister triplets were professional circus sideshow performers who appeared all over the United States and Canada. They travelled with the Forepaugh, Gollmar Brothers, Ringling Brothers and the Barnum & Bailey circuses. Famous coast to coast, there was much excitement and curiosity in town when the Hanna triplets ended their circus careers and moved to Woodstock in the fall of 1914, enrolling in the 2nd grade at the Clay Street Grade School.
In the early 1900s surviving identical triplets were very rare, hence the Hanna sisters appeal as circus curiosities. Later, as teenagers, they returned to show business performing with a musical-comedy company in Kansas City, MO. When the triplets turned 20, all three retired from show business and settled down. Eva married noted clown “Bumpsy” Anthony, an International Clown Hall of Fame inductee. Ida met her husband on a blind date after he saw her perform on stage, and Iva’s husband was a stagehand where she performed; they married between a matinee and evening show.
In addition to human curiosities, one of the major attractions of circuses visiting Woodstock was, of course, the animals. Elephants, tigers, lions, giraffes, hippos, rhinos, crocodiles, ‘man eating’ hyenas, boxing kangroos, performing goats and even a performing moose all entertained and delighted Woodstockites.
During off-season winter months, circuses would house and train their animals at winter quarters. In 1866, “Yankee” Robinson wintered in Decatur, IL, the Ringling Brothers Circus was based out of Baraboo, WI for over 30 years and the W.B. Reynolds Circus was based out of Rockford for 20 years. And, for a short time, in the late 1970s, Woodstock also hosted circus animals. From October 1977 until May of 1978, the Hawthorn Circus was allowed to temporarily house 24 Siberian tigers, 8 bears, 6 elephants and 2 lions in a factory building on route 47 near Country Club Road while a permanent facility was being built for them in Richmond.
Unfortunately, the circus’ stay in Woodstock was plagued with misfortune. In addition to widespread accusations of animal abuses, in December of 1977, while practicing a circus act, a senior trainer was mauled by one of the Siberian tigers; clawed in the abdomen and groin and bitten on his left knee.
Three months later, in March of 1978, one of the Hawthorn Circus elephants performing in Chicago picked up her trainer with her trunk and threw him into a pillar, killing him instantly.
Soon after, in May of 1978, city officials indicated that the Hawthorn Circus had ‘worn out its welcome’ and ordered the animals to be removed from Woodstock. Soon after, they were transported to their new permanent facility in Richmond. After decades of further abuse allegations, admitted willful violations of the federal Animal Welfare act, and acquiring the ‘distinction’ of being the first circus in the U.S. to have an elephant confiscated, the Hawthorn Circus was forced out of business in 2017.
If you are in possession of Woodstock or McHenry County historical documents, images, items or have documented stories and are willing to share with the Woodstock Public Library’s Local History Archives please contact the Library at [email protected]