The last weeks of the 2006 outdoor circus season saw the Carson & Barnes Circus move through North Carolina, then jump into Georgia for a successful stop in suburban Atlanta before moving into Alabama. A brief stop in Mendenhall, MS yesterday marked the final southeastern date before making a long jump today into East Texas for shows beginning tomorrow.
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It's hard to play East Texas without think of George W Christy. One hundred years ago, Mr. Christy made a success of a two car railroad show, and from his headquarters in what would become South Houston he ultimately built a 25 car circus noted for it's parade wagons, fine performance and feats of logistical magic. On several occasions the Christy Circus did the seemingly impossible, playing in two towns on the same day. Setting up, performing, tearing down, moving and doing it all over again one hundred miles down the track. George Christy closed his circus during the Great Depression, but kept his elephants, sometimes seen helping with road work around South Houston. Later the last of his equipment helped to frame the Cole Bros Circus under Jess Adkins and Zack Terrell.
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Our East Texas dates include Wharton, TX, San Leon, TX, and Pearland, TX on weekend. The tent crew goes home after that, many to Mexico. We'll see them again next March. The tent itself will go to Hugo, and the rest of the circus will move to Tulsa for an indoor date. Elephant boss Randy Peterson goes home to Wisconsin. By the end of November we're all towners again. With a mudshow it's like that. Eight months of incredible effort and oustanding work, then we go home.
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It's hard to play East Texas without think of George W Christy. One hundred years ago, Mr. Christy made a success of a two car railroad show, and from his headquarters in what would become South Houston he ultimately built a 25 car circus noted for it's parade wagons, fine performance and feats of logistical magic. On several occasions the Christy Circus did the seemingly impossible, playing in two towns on the same day. Setting up, performing, tearing down, moving and doing it all over again one hundred miles down the track. George Christy closed his circus during the Great Depression, but kept his elephants, sometimes seen helping with road work around South Houston. Later the last of his equipment helped to frame the Cole Bros Circus under Jess Adkins and Zack Terrell.
Enlarge
Our East Texas dates include Wharton, TX, San Leon, TX, and Pearland, TX on weekend. The tent crew goes home after that, many to Mexico. We'll see them again next March. The tent itself will go to Hugo, and the rest of the circus will move to Tulsa for an indoor date. Elephant boss Randy Peterson goes home to Wisconsin. By the end of November we're all towners again. With a mudshow it's like that. Eight months of incredible effort and oustanding work, then we go home.
