bjgreen
By Betsy J. Green
One hundred years ago, in May, 1918, the circus came to town. The sheer numbers were staggering — the circus train cars unloaded 600 people including performers, clowns, and support personnel! And 400 animals, including elephants, a giant gorilla, trained cats, rats, dogs, and birds were also part of the team. The massive tent was set up at the Haley Street Show Grounds on the East Side.
A rare photo of the circus tent being set up in Santa Barbara on East Haley Street. Image: Santa Barbara Morning Press, May 7, 1918
My next Way Back When book — 1918 — will be available in local bookstores in November, and at Amazon.com. This will be the fifth book in my series of the history of Santa Barbara, one year at a time.
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