The Circus

The picture I have given of my uncle Carl is in large part one of a rather forbidding, iconoclastic, prickly individual. He did however have his lighter moments. One that stands out was his apparent liking for the circus. During my early youth in Gowrie, the town would occasionally be included in the circuit of the smaller traveling circuses. The name that sticks in my mind is Sells-Floto but there may have been others.



Sells-Floto circus poster

One time, I think it must have been while we were still living in Gowrie (although I can’t exclude the possibility that it might have been after the move to the farm) I accompanied him to a circus that had come to Gowrie. It was surely during the summer, which meant that he was taking time off from the ever-present round of farm activities during that time of year to indulge this simple pleasure. I don’t remember if other of my brothers or my sisters was along but I have the vague feeling that some of them were.

The circus was set up in what was then the vacant lots to the south of the Lennarson-Johnson hardware store and mortuary. I think these lots [were used?] for pasturage by the Forsmark dairy and they extended from the M and St. L tracks east for several hundred yards. I have little recollection of what transpired in the performance itself.

On another occasion he was along when the Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey came to Fort Dodge. This time the whole family was along but also my uncle. Again it was during the summertime — perhaps during my father’s annual two-week vacation from his duties at the bank. I have one vivid memory of this circus. Prior to the performance we walked along past a long line of elephants. Perhaps it was on the way in and there may have been cages of other animals. I don’t remember. My uncle had me by the hand as we walked past the elephants, with me being closer to them. I was frightened at being that close to the elephants so I switched to his other side. He was amused by this and afterward related the incident to other members of the family. I felt rather sheepish.