Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Jess Adkins


Scan000010853, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

This picture of the show's co-owner, Jess Adkins, was taken earlier in the season, 6/19/40, five days prior to his death.

Posted by Buckles at 2/13/2008 06:17:00 AM

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Also in the photo appears to be Noyelles Burkhart.

13 February, 2008 09:11
Buckles said...

Looks like Mr. Burkhardt to me too but on the back of the picture is says James McKenna.

13 February, 2008 09:26
Mike Naughton said...

Gentlemen:

I'm expecting great recollections of the Cole Show sparked by these photos.

Johnny, what do you think were some of the key elements that made the Cole show what is was?

What were the owners backgrounds before purchasing the Cole Show and what made them so successful?

Thank heavens for the BLOG, it's almost as good as sitting in the dressing room on a three show day and telling stories.

13 February, 2008 09:35
Harry Kingston said...

I am no expert but reading alot on Cole Bros Circus the two owners were some of the best in the business.
Jess Adkins, the manager of Hagenbeck-Wallace that made it so successful and it was on 50 cars and a great street parade the world will never forget.
The man with the turned up shoes.
Jess, was loved by the circus fans and with it and for it till the end.
Zack Terrell, the one that managed Sells-Floto Circus and made it a great show and loved horses.
Heard that down the road he mellowed towards the fans.
Both men knew the circus business from the inside out.
These guys were real managers and owners and not in the private railroad car partying and up till 2 am and sleeping till past noon.
They were on the lot early taking care of business.
Harry

13 February, 2008 10:11
Anonymous said...

Seem to recall that Adkins also ran the Corporation winterquarters in Peru for several years after Ringling bought out ACC. Darkest years of the Depression, but with little money he still made several shows look good and prepared them for spring.

13 February, 2008 10:23
Anonymous said...

Certainly both were great circus managers going back to heavy grift show days with Mugivan, Ballard, Ben Wallace and John Ringling was quite aware of their management abilities when purchasing these shows, but I understand Mugivan got religion prior to that and had cut out the grift already. Terrel was part of the heirarchy of the AMC and is reported to actually have a 10% interest and hence he would become Gen. Mgr. of their big Floto Show. Adkins was the front, glad handing, personable, fraternal joining type with a great love of the street parade and is credited with the great PR build up of Clyde Beatty and his perfect fit with Hagenbeck-Wallace.
Terrel was the money guy and major owner. Adkins probably had little scratch to offer as partner in their newly framed Cole Bros. However on its inseption were planned with Terrel and Beatty with the big one and adkins would have Allen King on a smsller one. Didn't happen until 38 due to economic situation in country and actually they closed Cole and I believe had Beatty on their Robbins Bros. No more Robbins Bros. in 39. Cole all the way. Then no more cat acts for the rest of Terrels ownership. Adkins died abrubtly and Terrel bought out his widow for a ver rumoured small amount, which would substatiate word that Adkins was not a big mony owner, however the company was not financial prosporous at the time of his death, so I assume his widow was happy to get something [She was a late wife and had been a star circus performer named Teresa Baron] a good looking chick and would live in Chicago with a young daughter from their marriage with the Hobson family, former bareback riders now retired, and good friends.
Terrel wasnot a very prsonable guy, but was held in high esteem by all that worked for him and over the years had the greatest acts of those times work for him, such as Colleano, Castle, Cristiani, Loyal, Zoppe, Griebling, Kelly, etc. He also had Jack Dempsey and other personalities on his shows. I know that both my father and Bill Woodcock were proud of their Terrel-Cole Show days.This is not a histirical paper, but only what I have heard over the years from so many that were there, but I believe true historians would bear me out on most of it.

13 February, 2008 12:11
Mike Naughton said...

THANK YOU JOHNNY HERRIOTT...and the upper case font was not an error.
Fantastic accounting of circus as it was, it don't get no better than this, even on the History Channel.

13 February, 2008 13:09
Roger Smith said...

To agree with the Colonel, it must have been the inside opinion at the time that young Clyde Beatty was beholden to Terrell for much of his early renown. We were jackpotting about this one day over cold ones in the Compound, when Mabel Stark quietly, if somewhat grudgingly, observed, "Yes, Zack Terrell made Clyde. Zack and those goddam movies."

Roger Smith

14 February, 2008 19:26
Anonymous said...

Wow. Its great to see all the comments about my great grandfather Jess Adkins. Our family takes pride in his accomplishments and his devotion to the circus until his death. I'm the grandson of his oldest daughter Helen I. Cain (Adkins) from his first marriage. Thanks again for the comments and keeping his memory alive. James A Cain Jr.

14 January, 2009 00:27
Unknown said...

My Great Grand mother was teresa Baron.Of course her young daughter Darlene was my grand Mother.

23 November, 2021 08:37

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