Years ago, when the Coliseum was THE only venue in town (before the arena was built) the Ringling Bros. Circus was held there every year, around the 4th of July. Upon arrival of the circus train at the train station downtown, the circus would parade the animals from the train station North on 15th Avenue to the Coliseum with no fan-fare. We neighbors living along 15th Avenue would be alerted that something unusual and exciting was occurring by our barking dogs, beside themselves with the presence of this strange and unusual affair. There were the circus people and the animals - lions and tigers and bears in their fancy horse-pulled painted circus caravans and llamas, camels, the fancy trick horses, and the elephants of course, all walking with their handlers and trainers.

Once the circus run was over, there was another parade South on 15th Avenue back to the train station - but this time the parade would be posted in the newspaper and drew a crowd. People would come and line both sides of 15th Avenue to watch. It was something to look forward to, and now looking back it seems very much like a small town affair.

LIONS AND TIGERS AND BEARS, OH MY!

Submitted by,
Patricia Wakefield
F.Q. Story Resident since 1970