In the years following the Civil War, travelling tent shows began to bring entertainment to the culturally starved people from the rural South. The circus became the largest form of entertainment in the late 19th and the early 20th centuries. Some shows were of the traditional circus variety, with a menagerie of trained wild animals, while others were repertory theater troupes which featured multi-act plays. Still others specialized in vaudeville, minstrel or medicine shows and carnivals. Some of the most popular were the wild west shows made famous by Buffalo Bill Cody and later the Miller Brothers from Ponca City, Oklahoma Territory. Most incorporated elements of each of these into their acts.
In the early days the travelling tent shows, known in the industry as a mud show, traveled overland by wagons but with the expansion of the railroads, that became the preferred mode of transportation and led to a circus boom. Livingston, due to its proximity to Houston and its position on the Houston, East & West Texas Railroad, which arrived in Livingston on Christmas Day 1880 made it a natural stopping spot for these troupes. Many news articles describe that the show grounds were located near the depot, located on the north end of town on block 9, but the exact location is unclear.
In the early 1900s, when there was not a band marching through downtown Livingston to promote an Opera House show, there was one to promote a tent show. These traveling companies, upon entering a town, would pull their railcars onto a siding at the depot and a small city of workers would take up residence and begin to erect the tents and get things ready for their event.
In these days the show masters and stars travelled in Pullman Palace cars. This was a very luxurious form of travel, but the performers had no time to rest while on the circuit. Travelling with enormous amounts of gear, animals and their feed and an army of workers, the circus life was a very hard life. Every troupe travelled with a huge waterproof canvas tent to accommodate their audiences regardless of the weather. Led by their show band, the entire circus would parade at noon from the depot down to the courthouse and back to attract audiences for their nighttime performances.
The Gentry Brothers brought their circus to Livingston on September 29, 1906. Their newspaper ad in the Polk County Enterprise stated that they were bringing 500 educated horses, ponies, dogs and performing Persian sheep. They boasted of a tent with seating for 3,000 that was set up near the depot. A dazzling parade to the center of town was held at noon. At this time the Gentry Brothers show was one of the largest in the country. The paper later reported that the town was filled with many visitors that came to witness the show.
Just six weeks later the Van Amburgh Circus was in town on Monday, November 12th. It had a reputation of being the cleanest, most refined and up-to-date circus in the world. Founder, Isaac A. Van Amburgh (1808-1865), was purported to be the first ever to use trained wild animals in a modern circus.
“The work of the acrobats alone is worth twice the admission. The finest lot of trained horses in the United States, the daring bareback riders, the trapeze and bar performers and the funniest set of clowns ever carried with a circus are all with this big show.” Iola Russell, a “brave little woman,” was set to enter a den of untamed lions. Also advertised to be at the circus were trained pigs, geese, cats, storks, dogs, goats, ponies, bears, lions, tigers, panthers, wolves, leopards and zebras and the largest elephant in the world.
The Amburgh Show featured “The Only Genuine Olympic Hippodrome” with all kinds of “thrilling and desperate” two and four horse chariot races. Shows were held at 2 o’clock in the afternoon and at 8 o'clock at night.
The following month, on Christmas Eve, Monday December 24th, Canada Frank’s Big Tent Show and Concert Company gave a performance at 8 o'clock.
With a troupe of 25 people, consisting of specialists in wire walking, flying ring artists and other high-class acting, there was to be plenty of fun for the children and entertainment for all.
Beginning on Monday, January 14, 1907, The Danville & Kasper Amusement Company brought their “Big Free Street Fair and Carnival” to Livingston for a six-day affair. They advertised four sensational free band concerts daily with a total of 8 shows over the course of the week. They came to town with a Ferris wheel and a steam gondola, all set up in their unsurpassed midway.
W.L. West, co-owner of the Polk County Enterprise and the new Livingston Roller Rink (block 34, lot 4), declared in his newspaper advertisement that this was Livingston’s first carnival and that his rink would be open every day of the week. “We take pleasure in ‘learning’ new beginners. We respectfully invite the skaters and visitors from the neighboring towns to visit the Rink and spend an afternoon of pleasure.”
The Roller Rink ad revealed that the building was 50 feet by 100 feet and that plenty of skates were available. This building soon became the Livingston Opera House.
West and his brother-in-law, E.J. Manry, founded The Polk County Enterprise in September 1903 and had many local merchants advertising in the paper. The Emerald Oyster Parlor had their Carnival ad placed sideways, apparently for attention. This event prompted the Davis Brothers, C.J. Gerlach & Brother and the J. Hickman mercantile to run ads in the paper to promote big special sales for the first ever carnival week.
Following the event, the Enterprise report of January 24, 1907, hailed the carnival as a success with hundreds of visitors in town for the week. “The amusement company is entitled to commendations for good, clean shows and splendid order.”
Just a couple of weeks later, on January 25, The Geyer’s Run-away Tramp Company came to town with a big waterproof tent complete with 35 performers and Professor Smith’s Cornet Band at noon. Tickets were 35 cents for adults and 25 cents for children. On Thursday May 2, 1907, The Herring & Glasscock Brothers Shows were in town with trained animals and beasts at the show grounds near the depot.
Sometimes the carnivals were conducted by the home folks. The ladies of the Presbyterian Church held a Gipsey (sic) Carnival during the week of October 17, 1907, complete with a Gipsey street parade at 4:30. A merry-go-round for the small people was in full swing each afternoon and ice cream, warm lemonade and hot peanuts were served. “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine, said the Wise Man so come out, have a good time and swell the church repair fund.”
On December 27, 1907, The W.A. Eiler Company rolled into town with a cast of 30 actors and musicians travelling in two Pullman Cars. They performed a five-act western melodrama, “King of the Cattle Ring,” a charming story of love and adventure. The big production was complete with an orchestra, a calcium smoke machine, mechanical effects, and elegant costumes, all under a large special built tent. Curtain rises at 8:00.
The Eiler Company returned on Thursday, February 20 to perform “Down Mobile, A True Story of Southern Life.” The newspaper ad read “Down Mobile Show is a prodigious production, peculiarly pleasing to particular people, packing our pavilion nightly. Precedes all previous presentations in points of pleasantry. Points of peering procurable at the pavilion preceding the performance.” Of course, they had a show band march through town at noon.
Mollie Bailey (1844-1918), Circus Queen of the Southwest
“Aunt” Mollie Bailey, arguably the most famous of all the circus entertainers, especially in the South, was a regular in Livingston as well as all of the surrounding region. With a career that spanned pretty much her entire life, Mollie is worthy of a narrative all her own and many have been written. She was known for her kind spirit and often assisted the underprivileged children and Confederate veterans with free tickets to her shows.
The Mollie Bailey troupe experienced a tragedy on December 5, 1908 when her brother-in-law, Alfred H. Bailey, was found dead in his train car upon arrival in Livingston. He had served during the Civil War and afterwards spent 42 years in the circus life with his brother Gus and Mollie. He was buried that same day at the Forest Hill Cemetery with the service being conducted by the Methodist minister, W.T. McDonald. Mrs. Bailey requested that the paper tender the family’s sincere thanks to the people of Livingston who so kindly assisted in the burial of their relative.
From the years 1903 to 1913 there existed a railroad from Soda, then called Knox, to Livingston to bring the lumber from the huge sawmill there. It was common for this line to run excursions into town so that their citizens could attend special events. A mention is made in April 1909 of an excursion train for the purpose of attending a carnival in town.
Dr. Pastor’s Vaudeville Show, which had a balloon ascension, was in town for a week in June of 1909. The admission for this show was only 10 cents.
The world-famous John H. Sparks circus came to Livingston on Friday October 29, 1909, just one week after the huge First Annual Polk County Fair. “Embracing everything extraordinary and exhibiting everything exceptional, complete with a convocation of acrobats, leapers, gymnasts, tumblers and equilibrists.” With a clown contingent of 20, costly carved tableaus cars and chariots, ponderous elephants, stately camels, open dens of wild beasts, pretty dancing ponies and beautiful women, they advertised a solid mile of parade and grand free exhibition afterwards. Their shows were held twice daily at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. The paper reported that this was a clean and moral show with no “skin games.”
“From the moment of early arrival of the trains bearing these great shows until their departure in the night every consideration will be shown the public. The populace will receive an early morning welcome at the crossway where the trains are unloaded, this morning, and may view the interesting operation without fear of unpleasant experience. The train superintendents, and through them, their subordinates have been instructed to be polite and courteous at all times, and in no possible manner to offend the most sensitive either by word or action. On the show grounds the same rule is rigidly enforced in all departments, whether large or small. Ladies without escort and children unattended are assured respectful consideration on the show grounds, as every employee has been constituted a guardian for their protection. In fact, nothing has been left undone that would enhance the comfort, pleasure, and peace of mind of even the most aesthetic patron of this great show aggregation” Enterprise notice of October 21, 1909.
The following month, for three days beginning November 18, 1909, the Jennings Show Company #1 came to town. A clean moral show with big laughs and fun under the canvas, this show was advertised as being different. “No waits, no dull moments, a perfect typhoon of merriment every evening for two solid hours!”
No sooner than this one left town, another, Blondin’s Big Show came in two special cars for a show on Monday, November 29. Also performed under canvas, “The Cowboy, Indian and the Lady” proclaimed to be the largest and best of all tent shows. With Betz’s Military Band and Superb Orchestra, a parade was held at noon.
In these days Wild West shows, made popular by Willam “Buffalo Bill” Cody, were extremely popular. Many performances of this type were performed under the big tents in Livingston. The Wiedemann Bros, whose company performed “Custer’s Last Charge” on Monday, February 14, 1910, came to town complete with “cowboys, wild west girls, vaqueros, senoritas, guardi rurales (Mexican mounted police), champions of lariat, rough riders, Pony Express veterans, bucking broncos along with Sioux Indians, daring athletes and funny clowns. They promised to pay $25 to anyone bringing an unbroken horse or mule that their cowboys could not ride and offered to buy those bad bucking horses.
Also performing in Livingston, for three days beginning March 31, 1910 were Roy E. Fox’s Lone Star Minstrels who played a concert on the “principal street corner” at noon. Their Saturday night show did not break up until after midnight. The Enterprise reported “they gave too much show for the money.”
The Jones Brothers Buffalo Ranch Wild West show was operated by J. Augustus Jones. They performed in Livingston on October 4, 1910. The show, a combination of a circus and a wild west show, consisted of 14 railroad cars. One advance car for the advertisement men and billposters and then 3 stock, 6 flat and 4 coaches. A company like this would employ hundreds of people. These large travelling railway shows were highly organized and had every railroad stop booked each night for the entire season. These dates and places were published into a lengthy route book so that all employees were in coordination.
Through the Enterprise of September 22, 1910, The Jones Brothers advertised an “educational exhibition with 1,000 men and horses.” They advertised “western frontiersmen, cowboys, Indians, cowgirls, South American gauchos, Mexican vaqueros, Japanese samurais, Cossack riders, Arabian acrobats, celebrated scouts, chiefs, warriors, papooses, belles and beauties from the wigwam, real cowboys from the ranch, the most daring lady riders, noted guides and fearless stagecoach drivers. Don’t fail to see the great historic street parade at 11:00 daily.”
Wild West shows had many different styles of equestrian men and women thus the wide variety of cultures included above. Entire Indian villages were assembled at each stop for the public to view.
On December 13, 1910, the “Dog and Pony Show” of Bobby Fountain featured an areoplane (sic) that was to appear in Livingston. The J.H. Boyer Company brought the high-class vaudeville “Jesse James Show” on January 3, 1911, with a troupe of educated Russian poodles. This same troupe returned on January 23, 1912, and advertised a mammoth canvas tent that would seat 1,000 people. They promoted their show to be clean, moral and refined.
New Willard was a new sawmill town established in 1909 by the Thompson & Tucker Lumber Company. In March 1911 the town people filled the spacious tent of “Aunt Mollie Bailey’s Circus” to witness the performances, which have “greatly improved since it traversed the country before.”
A hint is given in The Enterprise of October 19, 1911 of a midway, where one could see the “Slippery Wheel Snake Show” and other attractions on the Midway, back of the Racket Store. A racket store specialized in a wide variety of low-cost goods from shoes and clothing to fruits and vegetables. A convenience store of sort, they were very popular during this time. This Livingston business was owned by E.E. Martin who had recently moved to Livingston from Onalaska where he had been a millwright. E.E. Martin was also a jeweler and watchmaker and is the grandfather of Eddie Martin. His store was located on the corner of Washington and Polk on lot 1, block 23, the current site of Petalz florist.
The shows continued to roll into town and the play “Man from the West” was performed in their big tent on December 13, 1911. “Pure love is made; good blows are struck and there is mountain of real comedy.” Professor Wierz and his band played a free concert on main street at noon and 7:30.
“Hands Up, Jesse James is Coming!” J.H. Boyer’s Famous Shows returned and brought their sensational four act melodrama “Jesse James” to town on Tuesday, January 23, 1912. The show was billed as a “real western play, clean, moral, refined and devoid of vulgarity, it is a thriller from the moment the curtain goes up on the first act, brim full of climaxes and startling situations.” Under a mammoth canvas theater that could seat 1,000, the show was complete with a big band and orchestra, a big troupe of trained poodles and of course, a big free concert at noon.
The Lachmann Carnival arrived in Livingston on December 29, 1912 and pitched their tents for a one week engagement. “The attractions are of unusual merit especially the trained wild animal exhibition. Salina the dancing girl in the lion’s den and her group of performing wild beasts is the best performance of this kind ever witnessed here, the lady performing feats almost impossible with those savage animals of the jungle” read their advertisement.
This show included an obligatory free daily band concert. Also included was “The Famous Georgia Minstrels Show,” that was full of ginger and good clean wholesome comedy. By all means, “attend the carnival, it’s all right.”
The Mother’s Club arranged for a Grand Carnival for Monday, January 27, 1913 to benefit their club. Organized on November 9, 1909, the Mother’s Club later evolved into the Parent-Teacher Association in July 1913. The ladies that were instrumental in forming the club were Mesdames L.T. Sloan, Clem Fain, J.E. Hill Jr., S.H. Smith, H.B. Davis, N.J. and J.W. Cochran, J.P. and F.J. Manning, W.W. Leggett, J.L. Muller, Joe Sisson, N.T. Green and Misses Fannie and May Andress.
The Mother’s Club carnival featured The National Amusement Company and advertised that they had a Giant Ferris Wheel, Monster Jumping Horse, Carry-Us-All, Military Band and amusements galore. Admission to the grounds was free.
To be set up in a tent near the courthouse, Blair’s Ton-Ko-No Comedy Company came to Livingston in July 1913 for a week. Promising that their “entertainments” are of the highest character, clean and moral and composed of ladies and gentlemen. They ran an article in the July 3, 1913 Enterprise that contained endorsements from different mayors, judges, sheriffs and business leaders from around East Texas. So convinced of their success, they offered the first night for free.
Polk Countian F.K. Leggett established The Livingston Drug Company in 1906, all the while serving as the District Clerk from 1906 until his resignation in January 1910. Leggett then left Livingston and became the owner and operator of the Lone Star Amusement Company. He employed his nephews Jack Leggett and Robert Doughty and travelled the state with six pay attractions, sixteen concessions and several free side features.
Leggett returned to Livingston when he was contracted to bring his carnival to the 5th Polk County Fair in 1913. The Enterprise reported that his company had been showing in many large towns and is one of the best organizations of its kind on the road.
In November of 1913, The Neff Theater Company, under a big, heated canvas tent, brought their band and orchestra to town for a week. With a different play each night, admission was 10 cents for children and 25 cents for adults.
In what must be the best of all of the Livingston tent show stories is the one when the show did not come to town. In early 1914, a 22-year-old, strapping young man from Lawrence, Massachusetts arrived by train and walked to the Cottage Inn (formerly The Greer Hotel, located NW corner of block 11, burned in 1948). The young gentleman inquired with the hotel keeper, Tobias Bulter, “Where can I find the Miller Ranch show?” Mr. Butler advised, “Son, there is no show in town now.”
Ernest Reuter Sr., a cornet player, had left his hometown in 1913 and spent the year touring with The Miller’s 101 Ranch Wild West Show from the O.T. (Oklahoma Territory). The troupe, after playing around the country, disbanded at the end of the tour in Houston on October 28, 1913. When the 1914 season arrived Mr. Reuter found his way to Livingston, Texas to reconvene with his company. According to Ernest Reuter Jr., he should have been in Livingston, Missouri. Mr. Reuter’s life is an incredible story in itself. He married Mr. Butler’s daughter, Jeffie, began to supervise the construction of Livingston’s first public water system, became Livingston’s first fire marshal, was an entrepreneur and was the patriarch of one of our community’s most beloved families.
The October 29, 1914 Enterprise carried an article, credited to The Honey Grove Signal of October 16th, that reported that Mollie Bailey had retired from show business. She was 74 years old and had earned a good rest, which they hoped that she found in the quiet of her farm. She had given much to charity and had furnished funds for the erection of two churches. She later died in Houston, Texas on October 2, 1918.
The J. Doug Morgan Stock Company, who had previously played at the Livingston Opera House in December 1907, returned with their new $5,000 heated tent theater for a one-week engagement beginning on December 6, 1915. Morgan, who wintered his troupe in Cherokee County, was considered to be the leading road show at this time. Opening to a packed tent, they presented their four-act comedy drama, “The Builder of Bridges.”
Mr. Morgan, on his previous trip to Livingston, had been taken on a hunting trip with K.W. Jackson (grandfather of Sidney Smith and Mary Alice Wise) and P.H. Blalock, railroad agent. Apparently, Morgan got lost in the woods and got back into town that night just in time to open his performance. He advised that he would not be going on any more hunting trips with them.
Their performances were so widely attended, the company decided to stay over for another week and gave a new play each night with good music and vaudeville.
While in town, on Saturday afternoon, December 18, 1915, Morgan performed for the attendees of the Livingston versus Groveton basketball game, which was held on the outdoor courts of the Jackson Avenue schoolhouse.
The Whitney Shows carnival was brought to Livingston for the last week of January 1916 under the auspices of the newly formed Livingston Fire Department. Established on July 15, 1915, K.G. Peebles was the first Chief and Ernest Reuter Sr. was the first Fire Marshal. The carnival delivered 9 big clean shows to the citizens of Livingston and helped with the expenses of the fire department.
Morgan returned to Livingston once again on Monday, February 21, 1916 to perform for another week in his big tent theater near the depot. In addition to the daily band concert, there was a free high trapeze act each night at 7 by the Flying Huffs in front of the show tent. The opening play was to be “An American Girl.”
In summary it is hard to imagine that this much activity once occurred in our sleepy little town … and all within a ten-year period! Sadly, this type of entertainment became obsolete with the advent of the motion picture industry.
Practically every ounce of information for this sketch was procured from The Polk County Enterprise archives. While there were many shows prior to 1906, unfortunately, there are no newspaper reports of them that have been found.
