The Mighty Haag Shows
Mighty
Haag Circus
Mighty Haag Railroad Shows
(1894 -1938)
Ringling's called him the Barnum of the Sticks
King of the Wagon Shows
Biggest of the Wagon Shows
A Southern Show for Southern People
America's Most Popular Shows
The Pride of Dixie
Nicknamed the Hog show
First circus Emmett Kelly saw 1915, joined in late 1920's
Helen Haag - First woman to attempt the leg carry from an elephant's mouth
"When the Mighty came to town, they came too"
Lawrence Cross, clown with Clyde Beatty 1949
with Haag 1926, 1930's
"Although he had been a tramp at one time, he
was well educated
and looked on the bright side of life. He was a funny character and didn't
laugh at his own jokes. Ernest had a language that was not in any dictionary."
(Walter L. Main letter 1-6-1906)
Ernest Haag was friends with Walter L. Main.
Main often visited the Mighty Haag Show.
Mr. Main says that Haag was a wonderful fellow, full of comedy, but never
laughed at his own jokes.
Until the lean days of the late 1930's, the
Mighty Haag Show was as well
known in the smaller towns of America as Lydia Pinkham's medicine. The Haags
offered family entertainment, no dancing girls, no gambling, no booby traps.
(Nichols, Akron Beacon Journal - 5-5-1969)
Ernest was director of the Commercial Bank of
Shreveport,
honorary officer of the State Fair Association
Ernest was a modest man and often was modest
about his circus.
His was a high grass show, usually playing crossroads towns where the
grass wasn't likely to be trimmed. Most southerners knew his elephants by name.
(Tom Parkinson, May 1950, Shreveport Magazine)
The Mighty Haag Show and Ringling and Barnum
Bailey combined show are
the only two shows that never missed a season from it's start
(letter from Mr. Duble, 1939)
A supreme Achievement in Clean Amusement
The Hatfields and the McCoys had one of their shootouts on the Mighty Haag Show grounds
Harry Haag James considered Ernest Haag his
surrogate father
Harry called Ernest Haag... Uncle Ernie
Harry never forgot how kind Ernest was to him at a time when he needed
encouragement
Ernest Haag's Obituary
(1866-1935)
These excerpts are from the book, "Things I Remember About Clinton County", written by Ella Andrew Nunn when she was 92 years of age. The book was published in 1982 and is no longer in print.
I remember well when the circus shows would come to Albany once per year. The one that I remember the most was the Haag circus, it was called Haag's Mighty Show. Weeks before it came to town it would be well advertised. This was the largest circus that ever came through this way. They would travel by foot or wagon until trucks came into use. After it was shown at Burkesville all day then it would come to Albany, pitch their tent and get ready for the show the next day. There were usually two elephants and two camels. The lions, of course, would be in a cage which was on a wagon pulled by four horses, the wagon would have other small ponies and bears. There was always plenty of acrobatic performances, too. The first circus I saw was Haag's in 1907.
A friend of mine, Ronald Gibson, told me once that he had heard that Haag's
Circus was coming to Albany from Burkesville, on a certain day. His father told
him if he, and his brother, Lee, would work hard during the early part of the
morning, they could come and sit on the fence and watch the parade go by. In
these days every child had to help with the farm work, especially if it was the
last cultivation, so they would be ready to enter school, which began the second
Monday in July.
JIMMY NICHOLS
Guest Columnist
Some of the greatest thrills that we three Nichols brothers (Nick, Photis, and me) had in our younger years were to stand at the Riverside Cafe corner at Water Street and Avenue G. and see either the circus or a minstrel show arrive in Apalachicola on the Apalachicola Northern Railroad line.
Pulled by an A.N. locomotive, the first of the two entertaining outfits to reach our city was the Mighty Haag Circus, styled as the "Southern Show for Southerners." Later, there was the Silas Green Ministrel from New Orleans.
The Mighty Haag Circus wintered in Marianna, Florida, and many of the nearly one hundred members of the cast would stay at the Chipola Hotel. While in winter quarters, the performers would rehearse new acts, and their band played and practiced new tunes. People from all walks of life would walk out to the circus grounds to watch and listen. Roustabouts from the circus would spend their time repainting all the equipment and repairing items that needed it.
The Mighty Haag Circus came to our city in the late 1920's. The whole show was on rolling units, including the caged animals. It extended the full length of the track (which ran parallel to Water Street) all the way to Battery Park where they unloaded and set up.
Everybody in town knew several weeks in advance that the circus was coming because of the posters that were in store windows. Posters were also stapled on sides of buildings, and nailed to phone and power poles. The advertising agent always passed out free passes to store owners for their help in promoting the coming circus.
Apalachicola in those days had a greater population than now - 4,000, and it was the largest as well as most important shopping center in the area. Our Oyster City attracted shoppers and people from Carrabelle, from up country, from Port St. Joe, and even Wewahitchka. Circus day was a great day for all the kids.
The big attraction was the three-ring circus, with performances occurring at the same time in all three rings. As well as the big top itself there were a host of subsidiary units to be erected: the menagerie tent, which might be almost as big as the circus tent; the "connection' which linked the two tents together; the "pad room", an elongated tent, with men's dressing room at one end, women's at the other end, and ring horses in between; the side shows, refreshment tents, the circus cookhouse, baggage horses stable tents, and other needed tents. Railroad transportation made it possible to carry far heavier loads than had ever been dreamed of with horse-drawn wagons.
The whole operation of erecting and dismantling these colossal structures was a masterpiece of logistics and organization. Most circus stops were usually one afternoon and night affairs. Only in the very largest towns did they stay longer.
A remarkable and efficient system of transporting these units on the railroads was developed. There were three types of cars: sleeping cars, with staterooms for staff and performers, and three-high bunk cars for the rest; stock cars for the horses, elephants, and other lead animals, which were packed tight to prevent injury from falling during the journey; and flat cars, on which wagons carrying the tents, poles, seats, parade carriages, and caged animals were loaded. Baggage horses were used to pull the wagons when they were unloaded from the railroad cars.
The staff who loaded and unloaded the circus train were special workmen, called "razorbacks." The name probably comes from the cry "raise her back" used when lifting a short animal cage to a cross-wise position on a flat car. As long as this circus and others traveled by rail, this was the system used to load and unload a circus.
As our country swung into the Great Depression in 1930, the Mighty Haag Circus started economizing to stay afloat. It switched from railroad transportation to motorized units. In traveling between the smaller cities the larger animals such as the horses and the elephants walked. Jimmy McNeil of Indian Pass ( in Gulf County) remembers hitch-hiking a ride on an elephant for several miles when the animals stopped at the McNeil store 18 miles west of Apalachicola for a water fill-up.
Not many remember the Mighty Haag Circus in either Apalachicola or Marianna, where it had its winter quarters, but I do, and it is recorded in the various circus histories, copies of which are available in the State of Florida Library in Tallahassee. Whether you are six or sixty, there is something about a circus that is always refreshing to look back on.
From: "Performers and Acts with Circuses", Billboard, July 16, 1910
Araki's Troupe - Mighty Haag
Holzer & Goss - Mighty Haag
Oram & King - Mighty Haag
Powell & Daverne - Mighty Haag
Written for The Bandwagon by Charlie Duble (Old Circus Trouper). Hobby Bandwagon, Vol. 3, No. 10-11 (Nov-Dec), 1948, pp. 3-4.
On November 16, 1911, the John Robinson 10 Big Shows closed the season of seven months tour in New Albany, Mississippi. I had been with the circus the full season and a few days previous I had word from Dick Masters, bandmaster of the Mighty Haag Shows that he could place me for the balance of the season that would run up into December. I joined the Mighty Haag Show in Columbia, Alabama, Saturday, November 18, this being my first time with this show. I arrived on the lot that morning in time to enjoy a fine breakfast. I regret I do not have a complete list of all acts and these named I recall from memory. Performance opened with the regular grand entry, to the strains of "Caesar's Triumphal March," which was published in 1898 and composed by G. F. Mitchell, clarinet player, with the Ringling Show. This march has been played with many of the best shows for the tournament, over a long period of years, and cannot be excelled. Fred Jewell used the same march for the grand entry when he was bandmaster of the Barnum & Bailey Greatest Show on Earth 1909-10. Frank Miller was equestrian director and did his gents principal bareback riding number, and Clara Miller was premier equestrienne. The old time leaps came in the early part of the program, preceded by a song, a tuneful march melody "I'm The Leader of the German Band." Chas. (Bounding) Johnson did a bounding rope act being one of the best in his line. This act has entirely disappeared from the circus in recent years. Agnes DeEspa and Bill Johnson did double trapeze and other aerial numbers. Birdie Martino, rolling globe and club juggler. John Smith, now with Cole Bros., was on the list with his trained ponies and dogs. Miller and Smith also rode some nice menage horses along with lady performers. The Woods trio did a tight wire act and Helen Leach, who also came from the John Robinson show, did an iron-jaw aerial butterfly number. Shorty Sylvester was a dwarf clown, Roy Fortune did his comedy slack wire number with a peg leg, and played trombone in the clown band. Other clowns were Mardello, Henry, Gail Boyd, and McCammon. Mardello in his unparralled contortions, came later in the program. Del Fuego was leader of the clown band. Rudy Gonzallas performed the 3 well trained elephants. The three Millers did a nice flying return act, also the Si Kitchie troupe of Japs did a fine exhibition of foot juggling and difficult balancing. Jimmie O'Neil was a hand balancer and equilibrist. Performance closed with races, including a camel race with riders which no other show had to my knowledge. Doc Coates, a typical Texas, with his western hat, was official announcer in big show, also rode aside the driver of the No. 1 elaborate band wagon with heavy carvings of "Columbus discovering America" and drawn by 10 sleek dapple grays. Along the route Doc would call out those old familiar words: "Hold your hoss-es . . . the elephants are coming." Those warning words, with the other parade features of carved tableau wagons, open gilded dens, gaily costumed mounted people on spotted horses, the elephants, camels, and finally the steam calliope, are all a pleasant memory to circus fans of today and some thing the younger generation has entirely missed.
The Big Top was 110 foot round with three 40 foot middles, 4 center poles. Performance presented in 2 rings and on center stage. Menagerie had 3 elephants, 9 camels and six or eight elaborate carved cages. Nellie King played the steam calliope in parade and on the lot of evenings, also did a clever musical act in the side show. George Oram was manager of the side show, also did his "Punch and Magic." Del Fuego, "the human salamander" and fire eater, was another attraction, also three Eskimo midgets, Chief DeBro and wife, (no they were not from Alaska, but from Kendallville, Ind.) Eva McGuyre was an oriental dancer, her husband, Frank, was the Ernest Haag for many years in an official position. Fritz (Dutch) Myers was boss canvassman and Jim Finnigan train master. "Shorty" Rhodes was superintendent of stock and had been with the circus from the 1890's. Wm. Kellogg was legal adjuster and his wife a clever trapeze performer. Eddie Van Camp was boss of the light department. The type in use then were those with gas mantels, many shows including John Robinson's, used the same type for illumination.
Following Columbia, Alabama, is the route from by Billboard date book. Hartford, Florala, Evergreen, Mobile, then into Mississippi playing Lucedale, Hattiesburg, Taylorsville, Magee, Collins, Lumerton and Columbia. Show entered Louisiana December 2 at Franklinton, and next day was at Bogalusa, which was Sunday, then followed Slidell, Covington, Hammond, Baton Rouge, Opelousas, De Quincy, and closing stand was De Ridder Monday, December 11. The show spent some time in the Eastern provinces of Canada that summer. Quite a number of the Haag troupers, including myself, remained in Shrevesport, and some of us were at the Antler Hotel right down town. The manager was a Mr. Schroder, who made things pleasant for us show folks. Dick Masters, leader of the band, was there all winter and eight others of the band. Frank McGuyre promoted a job or two for us during the lay off.
Every Wednesday morning, the Billboard (10 cents the copy then), came in at Sanger's Drug store, and we were on hand for our copy. I enjoyed the lay off as Shreveport was an ideal place during the winter months. A nice meal could be had at the California Restaurant for 25 cents. (In 1911 remember) I met "Shorty" Rhodes there often and we had many long talks. The Haag folks were made to feel at home there. I was one of the troupe again in 1912 when the season opened in Shreveport March 21 - "The 18th Transcontinental Tour," an account of which appeared in The Bandwagon issue of April 1943.
Bandwagon, Vol. 2, No. 3 (May-Jun), 1958, p. 6.
The 18th Transcontinental Tour of the Mighty Haag Circus was the season of 1912. It was quite a long season, including eleven weeks in Canada. Ernest Haag, sole owner. George Moyer was General Agent and Traffic manager and one of the best in his line. Harley Hubbard was secretary-treasurer, and with the show for many years. Frank McGuyre was Ernest Haag's right hand man, and Wm. R. Kellogg was legal adjuster. Jim Campbell was in charge of front door and may have been advertising banner solicitor. Jim Finegan, trainmaster, Fritz (Dutch) Meyers, boss canvasman, and Eddie Van Camp, superintendent of lights were other heads of departments. Harry R. (Shorty) Rhodes was in charge of stock and was with the Haag Circus over 40 years. Henry Emgard had the concessions, and Napoleon Reed was chef.
George Oram was side-show manager with Prof. Nelson's Ragtime Bond and minstrels. Among the attractions were Chief DeBro and wife, billed as the Eskimo midgets. They were from Kendallville, Ind. Nellie King did musical act, and played the steam calliope in parade.
Victor Stout was in charge of Advertising Car No. 1 and this circus was well billed with a fine line of all new special paper that year, the 18 Transcontinental Tour.
There were no printed programs and the performers named are recalled from memory, so a few may have been omitted. Frank Miller was Equestrian director, and did gents principal and a jockey act. Clara Miller, equestrienne. The Wallet family, five people were featured, riding act. DeBolien Troupe, acrobats and tumblers, . . . Irene Marshall, Mable James, . . . aerial performers, . . . John Smith, performing horses and ponies, Birdie Martino, rolling globe and club juggler, Jimmie O'Neil, hand balancer, Mardello, contortionist, . . . Rudy Gonzallas performed the three elephants. The old-time leaps were also presented in the early part of the program. Roy Fortune . . . Mardello, and Henry were clowns. Colorado Cotton (Frank Smith), his wife and son did trick riding and rope spinning.
Dick Masters was director of big show band, 15 musicians, and the writer was trombonist. Doc Coates, of Hempstead, Texas, with western hat and frock coat, made all announcements during performance. Collectors claim they find it difficult to obtain routes of the circus 1909-1914, as no printed route sheets were ever issued.
By C. E. Duble. Circus Scrap Book, No. 14 (Apr), 1932, pp. 21-23
Nineteen years ago with the Mighty Haag Shows. Season 1912: Show opened at Shreveport, La., the winter quarters, March 21. Fourteen cars with show including advance. E. Haag, sole owner and manager; Frank McGuyre, legal adjuster; Harley Hubbard, treasurer; Mr. Campbell, front door; W. Williams, supt. inside tickets; Ed. VanCamp, supt. lights; Dick Masters, band leader; Doc Coates, big show announcer; Shorty Rhodes, supt. ring stock; Prof. Nelson, in charge of side-show band and minstrels. Other heads of departments were Fred DeIvy, and Fritz Myers, the latter boss canvas-man. George Oram was side-show manager, and George Moyer was general agent and one of the best in the business. A new big top was put in use for the first time that year at Washington C. H., Ohio, 120-foot round top with 2 fifties and 1 forty-foot middle piece, 4 center poles, making an imposing picture on the lot, and much to the delight of Mr. Haag, in fact it was the pride of everyone with the show. Performance given in 2 rings and on 1 stage. A first class menagerie was carried, 3 elephants, 9 camels, 8 cages of animals. Some of the performers were The Wallett family of noted riders; Frank Miller, gents' principal, he also worked a wonderful trained horse, a beautiful sorrel, with a long mane and tail almost white. Clara Miller, lady principal; Si Kitchi, troupe of Japs, and their performance wonderful. Agnes DeEspa, aerialist; Charlie Diamond and Jimmie O'Neil, hand balancers; DeBolien troupe of acrobats; Woods troupe, wire act; Holzer and Rezloh; Johnson, aerialist; Rudy Gonzallas, performing elephants; Irene Marshall, Mabel James, iron-jaw artists and traps; John Woods, menage horses; Mardello, contortion and clown. Other clowns were Roy Fortune who also did a comedy slack wire act, Gail Boyd, Henry, Roy Barrett, and a few others I do not recall. Colorado Cotton, and his wild west company were featured in the concert.
The features of the side-show were: Miss Nellie King, musical artist, who gave a remarkably clever entertainment, performing on several instruments. She also played the steam calliope in parade. Del Fuego, the human salamander; Chief DeBro, and wife, esquimo midgets. (No, they were not from Alaska. Their home was at Kendallville, Ind.) On April 1, at Humbolt, Tenn., a terrific wind and rain storm struck the show during the night performance, causing general confusion among the performers and the audience. The performance finally had to be discontinued and the band was compelled to make a hasty exit under the side wall. The show made 66 stands in Canada that season through Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, a week on Prince Edward Island, and as far north as South Porcupine, Ontario. The railways used the narrow gauge rail on Prince Edward Island at that time so the show train could not be taken over of course, so on Sunday, July 28, at Point DuChene, Nova Scotia, the wagons, with all equipment and all employes were transported from there by steamer to Summerside arriving late the same evening, performances given Monday. Ordinary cars moved the show that week, about 28 cars were used, they being of course shorter than the regular show cars. The following Sunday all equipment and employes were landed again at Point DuChene, placed on show train and tour continued. A Mr. Carroll, who was a fine scenic painter with the show and a much liked gentleman had the misfortune, at that time, to have an arm clawed by a lion and he died from blood poisoning. At St. Catherines, Ont., that year after the elephants were loaded at night, someone set off an explosive on top of the elephant car. Luckily the injuries to the elephants were only slight. The parties responsible for this cowardly act were never found. Big show band: Dick Masters, leader and cornet. Everette James, W. Cubbison, cornets; Carl Sparks, Joe Day, Edward Fowler, Dad Whitsell, clarinets; Charles Redrick (now leader Al. G. Barnes show), A. W. Hughes, Charles Smith, altos; C. E. Duble, Andrew Peterson, trombones; Al. Marshall, baritone; Emil Peterson, tuba, Bob Blassingame, trap drummer. The big band wagon that was used with the Mighty Haag Show in 1912 was still in us as a band wagon with another show the past summer.
The last year on rail was 1914, but Mr. Haag still continues at the head of his famous show and the Mighty Haag Show since that time has been one of the leading motorized circuses touring the States. Some of the staff and performers have been connected with Mr. Haag for over twenty years which speaks mighty well for this kind and respected showman.
From Charles E. Duble, Associate Editor, Bandwagon. Bandwagon, September, 1952, pp. 5-6.
One of the widely known and highly respected circus owners of our time was Ernest Haag. For almost 42 years his circus, The Mighty Haag Shows toured the country, its name a household word in some sections. The grand old man of the circus world passed on in February, 1935. Few if any showmen had a more humble beginning than Mr. Haag. Readers of the Bandwagon I am sure will enjoy his story as told to one of the staff of the Billboard, while on a visit in Cincinnati some years prior to 1935. His account follows:
It was at the age of 12 that he along with several other boys, played hookey from school and fearing that they might get a thrashing from their dads, hopped in a box car headed for wherever it might go. After riding awhile all the boys except Haag became afraid, left the box car and hiked back to Plymouth, Indiana, their home town. Haag kept riding and riding until he found himself in Philadelphia, later going to New York City and other points in the East.
The next thing for Haag to do was to try and make a living, so he obtained a shoe-shining outfit (an old one of pocket size) and earned a few nickels, at the some time getting a few more by selling newspapers. This he continued to do until he was about 16. In his home town he was quite a musician for his age; in fact had led a local orchestra, and as he had circus inclinations his eyes were next turned in that direction.
His first show engagement was as alto player with T. Cooney, band leader with "Windy Smith", who had a show known as the Robinson Two-Car Show which operated for a season or two. After leaving there Haag made fairs, picnics, and old soldiers reunions selling juice. With each drink he gave a prize (spend a nickel and get a prize, was his spiel) and he believed he was the originator of that plan. For four or five years he did that kind of work - until he saved about $1,000. His next venture was a minstrel show, which proved a failure and Haag went back to box car traveling, and later again selling juice - for a few years.
Then his ambition to become a 'circus feller' reappeared. After saving a little more money selling juice he bought a small tent and a few ropes for $20 from an old side show man by the name of Squire Bowman and used it for a side show on fairgrounds. While along the Red river one day at Shreveport, La., he saw a fisherman with a flat boat and it gave him an idea. The fisherman was approached, a price of $20 offered for the boat and Haag was soon the owner. He then managed to rig up a few seats and obtained a bass drum only to learn that performers were needed to put on a performance. He scouted around until he picked up a performer named Jim Alberta, whose specialty was blackface. As Haag was about to float down the Red river, Ed Conklin a juggler happened along and hailed Haag who immediately joined him out. So down the river they went stopping at different sand bars, where they gave what they termed a circus. The main feature of the show was Haag's prize with each drink of lemonade. From the Red river they went on the Catawba, then down the Bayou Teche, which emptied into the bay. The “circus" called merely "The Big Show" moved downstream because there was no transportation to pay. Upon reaching the bay "The Big Show" was unloaded and placed on a two-wheel cane cart drawn by three mules abreast. With this cane cart Haag made the lower Red river, and the French country.
It was after this cane cart tour that he bought his first team of horses and wagon (a common old farm wagon, perhaps on Old Hickory). The circus was next transported all the way to Kansas - a one wagon show so to speak. From then on Haag bought wagon after wagon and added to his baggage stock.
It was later that he used the title, Haag's Mighty Shows, and then later Mighty Haag Shows. In the spring of 1909 he put the show on rails and traveled that way to the close of the season 1914, touring much of Eastern Canada during the seasons and the Eastern and Southern states. When Haag had it on wagons the very first time he confined his territory to west of the Mississippi river. After closing the railroad show and going back to wagons, later trucks, he played East of the Mississippi which was the territory as long as the show continued. He gave William R. Kellogg a great deal of the credit for the early success and growth of the Haag show. There were many others who received their schooling under the Haag banner.
Ernest Haag considered himself very fortunate in that he was always able to do things without first having to borrow money. He was the owner of considerable real estate at Shreveport, La., where he had a beautiful home, and he also had a home at Marianna, Fla., not to mention other properties in that state as well as in Oklahoma. For 18 years he was a director of Shreveport's largest bank, the Commercial National.
Haag's mission in this world, to use his own words, was to, "make everybody feel good."
By Charlie Duble (Old Trouper). Hobby Bandwagon, Vol. 2, No. 9 (Oct), 1947, pp. 7-8, 11.
It was back in the early 1890's when a young fellow in the late twenties whose ambition it was to become a circus man was strolling along the Red River one day, near Shreveport, Louisiana. His attention was attracted to a flat boat tied up at the shore and right then and there, he conceived an idea. The owner of the boat, a fisherman, was finally found and the young fellow with circus inclinations offered $20 for the craft and luckily got it. He then managed to gather together a few performers consisting of a black-face comedian, a buck and wing dancer, and a juggler, one Jim Alberta. Seats were next rigged up and the flat boat painted in gaudy colors and decorations, and a second-hand bass drum was resurrected from somewhere to help make music for the performance. The other instruments need for music, or who performed on the same, there is no record of.
Now the flat boat all ready for the tour set out and called merely “The Big Show.” Down the Red River they moved slowing along because there was no transportation to pay. Stopping at different sand bars and landings, the young showman put on his exhibition that he called “a circus.” One of the features was a prize with each drink of lemonade. The reader will have to use his own imagination as to the interest created by this show. From the Red River they went down the Bayou Teche, which emptied into the Atchafalaya river near Morgan City. Upon reaching this town the “Big Show” was unloaded and another idea was conceived. Now a two-wheel cane cart, drawn by three mules abreast, was bought and with this outfit their show now creaked about through the French country and the sugar plantations of the lower South.
That young fellow who started his career in this humble way was Ernest Haag, who later became one of the prominent circus owners of the white top world. It was after this cane cart tour thorough the plantations of Louisiana, that he bought his first team of horses and a common old farm wagon (perhaps an “Old Hickory”) somewhere in that state. With this outfit they crawled about over the country roads showing the cross roads towns and hamlets up through Arkansas, Missouri, and all the way up into Kansas - a one wagon show so to speak. From then on this ambitious showman bought more wagons and continued to add to his baggage stock. His circus now became known as the Mighty Haag Show. As time rolled on it grew to be one of the largest wagon shows of its day. It entered new territory over through Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky, and for more than a decade the name was a household word through the Southern States.
The show had grown to such proportions and prosperity that in the spring of 1909 Ernest Haag put his show on rails. The very best railroad equipment was secured. Elaborate hand carved tableau wagons, cages and chariots with the traditional sunburst wheels, and massive elegant band wagon, were all in place when the railroad show pulled out of Shreveport in the early spring of 1909 for the long summer tour. A year or so later points in Canada were included in the itinerary and the writer, the season of 1912, was one of the organization. Sixty-six towns and cities were played through Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The show went still farther east to Prince Edward Island where six towns were played, including the largest, Charlottetown, with 16,000 population at the time. During it railroad career the show covered many states, going as far west as Montana.
It was just thirty three years ago Ernest Haag disposed of his railroad show, the cars being sold to the Great Wortham Shows carnival. He then took out an overland wagon show from surplus equipment stored in Shreveport and toured Louisiana and a few towns in Texas, the writer being along on this trip. I recall some of the show troupers referred to a certain section as the Creole Country, the Cajun country, and the Red River country. Mr. Haag continued with this show, adding to the outfit and always presenting a pleasing performance.
With the coming of good roads about the country trucks were finally used for transportation, and during the tenting season the tour was extended up through Tennessee and Kentucky, crossing the Ohio river, towns in southern Indiana and Ohio were played, then down to the Virginias and all through the South.
It was in 1935 the veteran circus man passed on, then other members of the family kept the show going, appearing in the old towns each year where it was eagerly looked forward to by young and old. All were glad to see the posters of the Mighty Haag Shows. The show came to an end in December, 1939 [1938?], at Climax, Georgia. Besides the Ringling, Barnum & Bailey names (in a combined form since 1919) the Mighty Haag Show was the only one that carried on continuously the entire time without missing a single season since its beginning.
Ernest Haag was one of the most popular and widely respected circus owners of his time. Many show folks who have come and gone received their schooling under the Haag banner. At one time winter quarters were in Lecompte, Louisiana, later more extensive quarters were established in Shreveport where the showman had a beautiful home, and was also director of that city’s largest bank, the Commercial National. His show during the zenith of its greatest - as the bills proclaimed - was a Supreme Achievement in Clean Amusement.
The Mighty Haag Shows
Fred Pfening
The show started in the 1890s and he was able to hurrah it until his death in 1934. It was one of the few shows that traveled by wagon, railroad, and truck over the years. He wintered in Shreveport, Louisiana and later Marianna, Florida. Haag got the growth bug in 1909 and bought a bunch of railroad show equipment from Gordon Lillie which included the remarkable Pawnee Bill bandwagon now at Circus World Museum, the organ wagon, the Japan wagon, the Jardiniere wagon, and the calliope. These were pretty fancy parade wagons for a mud show guy such as Haag, although you can see he had some decent-looking little wagons on the wagon show. After five years of losing money with his railroad aggregation, he peddled it to the Wortham and Allen Carnival and went back to wagons, eventually using a few trucks. Harry James, the band leader and husband of Betty Grable, was born on the Haag show where his dad was the bandmaster. His dad must of thought a lot of Haag or he was a good politician as he gave his son the middle name of Haag. And here's a fun fact: Haag and Silent Sam Dill, American Circus Corporation manager and later partner of Tom Mix, died on the same day in 1934. These photos are all made from the original negatives or original prints. There is one 4 1/2" x 9" shot, a dozen 5" x 7"s, and 41 others, mostly about 4" x 5". Of particular note is a number of shots of the show wading through the swamps of Louisiana in the late 1910s and early 1920s. This must have been some tough trouping. The pictures cover all eras of the Haag Circus from the late 1890s or very early 1900s to the railroad show to the reconfigured wagon show to the hybrid wagon and truck show to the all truck show of the late 1920s and early 1930s. I think Haag was a good showman who hasn't gotten his due; after all, there weren't many other circus men who kept a show going as long as he did.
Around West Florida in 80
Years by Braden Lee Ball
...These remembrances and hundreds more are all
described in Around West Florida in 80
Years by Braden Lee Ball. This excellent new
book was published by the University of West
Florida Foundation.
Ball was business manager of the Panama City
News-Herald, founder of Fort Walton
Beach's Playground Daily News (now the
Northwest Florida Daily News), and
eventually publisher of the Pensacola
News-Journal.
The author spent his early years in Virginia and
Alabama with his parents, Hector Lee and Elizabeth
Widgeon Ball.
Then, in 1917, the family moved to Marianna,
where the elder Ball gave up his training in
medicine and law to enter sales, a trade he loved, as
a representative for the National Drug Co.
During the three years the family spent in
Marianna, they lived in the rambling two-story
Chipola, at the time one of the top hotels in
Northwest Florida. Typical of that time period, the
hotel offered comfortable rooms, wash basin, slop
jars and mosquito netting around the beds.
Salesmen - or drummers, as they were more often
called - frequented the hotel. They eagerly
anticipated renting rooms after long jaunts through
the surrounding countryside or rides on the stiff
coach seats of the L&N trains. These salesmen
arrived with big sample trunks and often displayed
their wares in the hotel.
The spacious dining room featured choice foods
such as roast beef, sugar-cured hams, fresh
vegetables from local farms and chickens "grown
on the grounds."
The new "cold" Eskimo pies become one of
young Ball's favorite desserts. Breakfast cost 35
cents; dinner, 75 cents.
On the wide verandahs, guests listened to
drummers swap tales and discuss local news. Their
conversations whetted Ball's interest for events
taking place in the communities. Before long he
began his own business, hawking area newspapers
that arrived at the train station.
Residents of Marianna followed several customs
during that era. Children wore smelly asafetida bags
around their necks. These small cloth bags were
filled with bitter roots and supposedly warded off
diseases at various times during the year.
In the cool months when the fields stood barren,
many families drove their wagons south to the Gulf
of Mexico and the bays to harvest oysters and catch
mullet. After they arrived back in Marianna, they
sold the fish and oysters in the town square. Oysters
cost 10 cents per dozen on the half shell.
The Mighty Haag Brothers Circus (note: should be
the Mighty Haag Shows) wintered in
Marianna. Many of the carnival workers stayed at
the hotel as did medicine men who arrived in big
covered wagons with their patent elixirs.
One of the unusual guests making occasional
appearances at the hotel was Miss Helga, the
professional corset fitter. In the privacy of a fitting
room, she measured women for celluloid-stay
girdles, guaranteed to keep the female form in
shape, then returned the finished product by mail.
In summer, Ball and his buddies cooled off at the
Old Swimming Hole in the Chipola River or at Blue
Springs outside of town. When an enterprising
flatbed truck owner offered boys transportation to
the springs on Saturday afternoon for 25 cents each,
Ball joined the group. Then when Ball learned the
man would pay him 50 cents and give him a free
ride to round up swimmers, he jumped at the
chance to earn a little extra money.
"Early 'Lad Hood' Billy, my lovable pony, was safe as sound and so gentle. A good sound sleeper, too, as age overtook him. When age really grabbed him, I decided to build him up for a sell to the 'Mighty Haag Circus' which was to be at our local fair grounds. Food I gave him in extra gobs. Though nerve had left poor Billy, he partook of too much and the Mighty Haag didn't get a chance to buy Billy - he kicked the wrong gong and was gone - two days before the preparations were started.
%20small.gif)
Frank Taylor & William Mast in
front of the