Monday, February 27, 2006

Al G. Kelly & Miller Bros. Circus 1942


I remember D.R. telling my dad the story of their first elephant "Hattie" she was originally a Ringling elephant going back to about 1895 but was now in the Hagenbeck-Wallace herd lying dormant in California in 1939. Obert and D.R. drove a truck out there and Cheerful Gardner showed them around (D.R. said he was terrified) and they settled on "Hattie" who was purchased 1/1/40. She was a sweet old cow, Cheerful could have unloaded anything on them.
In 1941 they bought a second elephant even older, "Mena" who came from the Hagenbeck Zoo in 1890 for the M.L. Clark wagon show. They now had a herd of two until Hattie died 11/3/41 in Cranfield, Okla.
So now we get to 1942 and we see "Mena" and "Tena" pictured above with Obert Miller on the horse. World War II arrived and "Tena's" previous owner, Russell Hall, was drafted into the Army and given 30 days to dispose of his elephant. Mr. Hall was a descendant of Col. George W. "Pop-corn" Hall out of Janesville, Wis.
Andrew Downie first owned "Tena" with his Downie Bros. Circus, framed in 1926.

Unfortunately I have jumped all around with these Kelly-Miller elephants rather than have the years in proper order. Yet I am sure the hard core "elephant nut" will figure it out.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

great story

GaryHill said...

Dalilah, you were so little when I worked for your Dad, but it always amazed me how gentle and kind he always was to you and your brother Shannon! Truer Love is never matched compared to a Dad and his kids. Your Dad is the kind of man that the mold was unfortunately broken after he was born, but he has shown the way for so many of us young men that worked for him! I would like to think I'm a better Dad to my son partly because of how Buckles treated me and others like me! He is a Great Dad and a Great Man and Friend! God Bless all that is his! Gary

Anonymous said...

Wasn't there another "HATTIE" on Kelly Miller in the 60s?

Anonymous said...

Help me get some names straight that keep appearing. Who is DR and who is Ben who keeps popping up?

Buckles said...

DR is Dores Richard Miller former owner of the Kelly-Miller and Carson & Barnes circuses.
Ben is Ben Trumble herpetologist extraordinaire.

Anonymous said...

I seem to remember reading somewhere,where the was a
Hattie Lockhart,which was part of Samuel Lockhart's elephant act here in America around the early 1900's.
(I think Bob Cline mentioned it some time ago).

Buckles said...

Ths Otto Floto Dog & Pony Show advertised in 1902 having leased 4 elephants from Ringling Bros. and worked by Samuel Lockhart.
"Haddie", "Wilhelmina", "Trilby" and "Tom Tom".
Further publication stated that "Tom Tom" died opening day in Kansas City, Mo. and that act had returned to Ringling Bros. by mid-summer.

Randy said...

Randy-

Hattie died in Grandfield, Oklahoma, not Cranfield, as posted.