Ancient Hixtory

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Ronald Wencer

Category: Ancient Hixtory

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In 1913 and 1914, the Frank A. Robbins' Shows circus again came to Long Island .In its more than 30 years, it had developed a reputation for quality entertainment, and the people of Hicksville were pleased that their town was a stop on the 1914 tour.

This circus seems to have struggled to survive for many years.It filed for bankruptcy in 1897, and then again several years later.A train wreck in 1910 made things more difficult, but it kept going.In 1915, it would have to end its tour prematurely, as it ran out of money, but it would return the following year.The word "shows" - plural - in its name referred to its being affiliated with a separate touring Wild West show; the common owner could try to juggle profits in order to keep both shows going.

In recent years, the circus had been contracting.Its new advertising stressed that it was "complete" or "high class," neither of which meant "large."Its Big Top had been built to accommodate three rings, but lately the circus had slimmed down to two rings, and a review of the 1914 tour (shown further below in its entirety) described it as a one-ring circus.Of course, the smaller size made traveling easier, especially if there were bodies of water to be crossed.

Clowns pose on empty ring in Robbins' Shows'
red-and-white striped Big Top, c.1907
circustents.blogspot.com

For the 1914 tour, it crossed the Sound following a performance in Port Chester , NY on a Saturday, and it next performed in Port Washington on a Monday.About two weeks later, it would leave Long Island after performing at Bay Shore, sail (or float) to who-knows-where, and take its train to Ellenville , NY for a Monday performance.

Huntington Long-Islander, June 19, 1914

The circus's "advance man" would have arrived on the Island while the show was still playing in Westchester .As always, he then would have traveled the tour route ahead of time, placing ads in local newspapers, and plastering nearby towns with advertising material.He had to inspect the fields he had booked, and confirm the bookings for, or make alternate arrangements for, circus grounds.He would deal with local suppliers re arrangements for food and beverages, animal feed, and other supplies.

Hempstead Sentinel, June 25, 1914

Thanks to the advance man, newspapers carried "canned" descriptions of the circus, which gave prospective attendees an idea of what to expect.

Hempstead  Sentinel, June 25, 1914

Huntington Long-Islander, June 19, 1914

A few weeks before the circus arrived in Hicksville, the Hudson , NY , Evening Register published the following independent review of what 1914's circus offered.

On the same page were two related news stories; they convey what it meant to small-town America to have a big circus come to town.The first describes how a number of Hudson residents waited at the Boston and Albany Railroad yard for the 5:00 AM (!) arrival of the circus train, so that they could watch the circus animals be unloaded.The second news story described the chaos that resulted when the town's school children were dismissed just before noon to watch the circus parade, which was about to pass nearby.They pushed and shoved, all trying to run out of the building at once; those who fell were trampled by others, who then fell, and got similarly trampled.

One can imagine how excited Hicksville 's children were about the town's first experience with a well-known circus.