The ONLY wagon from the Sparks show to survive is the Sea Serpent tableau, now at Baraboo. It was built by Sullivan & Eagle of Peru for John H. Sparks just prior to World War I but, thankfully, a decade later was sold to Floyd & Howard King and used on their various railroad shows of 1925-30. It had a checkered career for the next two decades having been acquired by various showmen at various times, each of whom thought they were going to field a new railroad show. It was briefly on a carnival in 1947, ended up with a Boy Scout council in Ohio but finally got to Baraboo through fans Norm and Bob Senhauser. Dick Flint Baltimore
Mr. Flint, Thank you for your insightful historical comments. It really adds a whole new dimension to the photographs in today's collection. Bob - CHS member
4 comments:
Did any of these wagons survive? If so, where might they be today?
The ONLY wagon from the Sparks show to survive is the Sea Serpent tableau, now at Baraboo. It was built by Sullivan & Eagle of Peru for John H. Sparks just prior to World War I but, thankfully, a decade later was sold to Floyd & Howard King and used on their various railroad shows of 1925-30. It had a checkered career for the next two decades having been acquired by various showmen at various times, each of whom thought they were going to field a new railroad show. It was briefly on a carnival in 1947, ended up with a Boy Scout council in Ohio but finally got to Baraboo through fans Norm and Bob Senhauser.
Dick Flint
Baltimore
Mr. Flint,
Thank you for your insightful historical comments. It really adds a whole new dimension to the photographs in today's collection.
Bob - CHS member
The Sparks wagon at Baraboo was built by Herbert L. Witt of Morristown, Tennessee for 1913. What carnival? The Chicago railroad fair?
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