Sunday, August 28, 2005

Robbins Bros. Circus/ Bill Woodcock and "Ding"


When Fred Buchanan first took Robbins Bros. Circus out of Granger, Iowa he leased a three act from Hall "Tommy", "Ding" and "Boo" (Baby Baraboo) this is my dad with "Ding" I think about 1925. She was one of his favorite elephants over the years but unfortunately perished in the Cole Show winter quarters fire in Rochester, Ind. Feb. 21, 1940.
He worked for "Highpockets" while on the Robbins Show and later with Sells-Floto 1930-32.

I received an anonymous question asking if I had any info on some James Patterson elephants being poisoned in Michigan in 1912. I only have one elephant listed for him that season "Big Modoc" who was later featured with the Ringling Show and died in Sarasota the winter of 1956-57. Patterson did have other elephants earlier and I have no knowledge of their final disposition so there may be something to the inquiry.

Posted by Buckles at 8/28/2005 07:05:00 AM

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

In Don Marcks Elephant history
published in the Circus Report

He mentions Fanchon and Lou with the Great Patterson show being poisoned at Michigan in 1912.
I dont remeber if he listed that they died though.There was also another elephant with the show at the time beside Modoc,I cant rember its name
off hand .

30 August, 2005 17:42
Buckles said...

You may be right, "Fanchon" and "Lou" were with 4-Paw-Sells Circus (Ringling owned)in 1911 and I have no further record of them after the show was taken off the road in 1912.

30 August, 2005 18:06
Anonymous said...

I just remebered the other elephant name"Jumbo".
For me and many others there is only one Jumbo,and that was the one killed by the locomative of the Grand Trunk Railway September 15th 1885.
The were several Jumbo II's
Frank Bostock's(which was a huge Asian male) and the Cole Bros.
Jumbo 2 who died in Rochester Indiana around 1936,either from tuberclocis or eating a glass bottle.
Don Marck's also lists a elephant called Jumbo who died at the National zoo around 1916,perhaps that was the one from the Patterson show.

10 September, 2005 17:32

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