Tuesday, December 08, 2009

From Dave Price #2


RBwqMapK, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Posted by Buckles at 12/08/2009 05:30:00 AM

3 comments:

Richard Reynolds said...

This is a very accurate drawing. The only major structure it does not show is the third horse barn off to the right. It was a really big one for baggage stock and was demolished around 1940.

The baggage stock was in Sarasota for only four winters - -1927-28, 1928-29, 1929-30, and 1934-35.

John Ringling gained control of the Peru winter quarters in late 1929 and at the end of the next season (1930) the baggage stock began to winter in Peru. It was sent there every year thereafter except for 1934-35.

I once wondered why the rhinos were always kept in that separate location instead of the main menagerie building. The answer seems to have been that there was no rhino on the show when it spent the first two winters in Sarasota. They did not have a rhino until they came back off the road with one in 1929. By then all the room in the menagerie building was given to other critters.

When they had the sea elephants, they were not kept in the winter quarters. No, they stayed in pens on Pansy Cove at St Armand’s Key. The pens had access to sea water in which the big seals could disport themselves.

08 December, 2009 13:26
Jim A. said...

Great series of photos and drawings. Would one pass this historical area while diving down Fruitville Rd. on the way to the Showfolks Circus this Saturday, 12 Dec.?

08 December, 2009 15:05
Buckles said...

Yes you would, Fruitville Road was roughly the southern boundary of the quarters and if you turn right on Beneva you will come to a Historic Marker where the front gate used to be.

08 December, 2009 15:49

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)