Alice Beasley: When circus arrived, it was an all-day event in our small town
The story “Greatest Show on Earth is gone; what’s next?” (June 4, Page 1B) brought so many wonderful memories flooding back in this 74 year old lady’s memory. The circus came to our small town in western Oklahoma. Mom would wake me before dawn; we would take a thermos of hot cocoa and head to the train station to watch the circus arrive. The workers would pile off the train, get the elephants harnessed to pull the wagons out to the fairgrounds where the big top would go up. We would watch that, then home or to school.
That night we would go to the circus. I can still recall the sights and sounds. The cotton candy, saw dust, carnival barkers, etc. We would sit center ring. I was fascinated by the sparkling costumes, the trapeze artists, high-wire acts, animal trainers, etc. Mom would close her eyes because she couldn’t watch people “flying” through the air. I loved it!
Life was hard in those days in western Oklahoma, but the circus and all it represented to a child was truly magical. I am so thankful I got to experience that time of life and now shed a tear for children who will never know what it was like when the circus came to town!
Alice Beasley, Merced
This story was originally published June 7, 2017 at 12:24 PM with the headline "Alice Beasley: When circus arrived, it was an all-day event in our small town."