The Circus, by Dr. Joe Halton

(Editor's note: Dr. Joseph Halton was a well-respected and much-appreciated doctor in Sarasota in the early to mid-20th Century. He owned a private hospital across from where the First Methodist Church stands today on South Pineapple Avenue. The following is an excerpt from The Journal of the Florida Medical Association - January, 1950.)

It is always a great day when the Circus comes to town. When the Ringling Brothers Circus came to our town, it had come to stay for it had moved its Winter Quarters from Bridgeport, Connecticut, to Sarasota. The real estate fellows needled themselves with dreams of future sales. To them it was the promised day of Israel. The Circus is an industry. It has a payroll. Thirty thousand people visit the Winter Quarters each year.

There were originally five Ringling brothers and one sister. Alf, John and Charles were patients of mine. All are now dead. Alf was the real circus brains, a stickler for proper conduct, and a fanatic on the morals of the personnel. Charles was the sharp intellectual type, John the exhibitionist.

My contact with the Circus came through the illness of the orangutans. They were dying rapidly. I made twenty postmortem examinations. They all died from tuberculosis. The orangutans are stupid, surly animals. You have to be ever on your guard as their little trick is to grab you, or any other monk, by the hand and bite off the fingers.

Miss Congo was the first gorilla with whom I came in contact. When Professor Yerkes of the Peabody Institute of Yale came to Sarasota to make studies on the intelligence of Miss Congo, I had a happy time with him. In one test we hung bananas in the top of the cage. With a series of blocks, Miss Congo would build an arrangement whereby she could attain the height necessary to reach the bananas. When she died, I sent her brain to Carnegie Institute for a study of comparative anatomy with the brain of a girl 16 years of age. My findings are recorded in Professor Yerkes' book entitled "Almost Human." From Miss Congo, I went to John's favorite chimpanzee, which he kept at his Italian villa. This chimpanzee died of tuberculosis.  Read more...

(photo credit: Sarasota County History Center)

What's a Girl to do?

Bette Davis once said, "I'd like to kiss you, but I just washed my hair." Well, we doubt that is the case with the pretty princess pictured here.

We have no idea where and when this was taken, but one thing is for sure, she could sure use a blowdryer and comb-out at this point. No little piggy would go to market looking like this; care to offer some styling suggestions? Hmmm...the lipstick on a pig flap during the last presidential election comes to mind.

(photo credit: Sarasota County History Center)

Yesterday's Sarasota Calendar

Every day of the year we highlight what took place in Sarasota's history, thanks to Whit Rylee and Tom Payne's extensive research and sense of humor. Frequently check our website's homepage to find out what occured today.

Also, be sure and check out Whit's website at: www.ChickenHillNC.com.

(photo credit: Sarasota County History Center)

History Locator

This week we are honoring the Early Lemon Bay - Englewood historical marker.

It reads:A unique community founded in the 1800s by the Ainger, Anderson, Biorseth, Carver, Chadwick, Chapman, Clark, Dryman, Heacock, Goff, Gottried, Green, Johnson, Jones, Kelly, Lampp, Leach, Loper, Nichols, Quimby, Washburn, Walker, Whidden and Wyatt families, who through danger hardship and disease, showed the courage and fortitude necessary to bring civilization to a wilderness.

1896 - Town of Englewood recorded by Nichols brothers.
1897 - First sawmill established by B.C. and W.F. Heacock.
1897 - On right, Guest House built by the Quimby family, later purchased and known as the Jergens Mansion.
1898 - Englewood Inn, built for tourists by Nichols brothers.
1898 - Englewood School opened as solution "In the family teaching of the three R's"

What Am I?

Our winner for last week's contest was No one?? So many participants tried to figure out the answer, but no one got it. C'est la vie! Try again this week.

Click here to review the photo, question and the correct answer of last week's challenge.

This Week's Clues: 

I will make it easier on you this time. It's not often you see an attractive woman wearing high-heels and riding a tarpon, but hey, this is Sarasota.

Don't know the woman's name but she is on a dock somewhere in Sarasota County. The question is the area that appears to be a park behind her is now something else. What is there now?

Yes, you will have to think back to the early 50's, figure out where the park was, and then what it became.

(photo credit: Sarasota County History Center)

Please submit the form that allows you to guess the answer. Click here to fill it out, and next week we will announce the winner, and give the solution to the question. Answer early, since the first person with the correct answer, claims the prize. Contestants may win only once per month.

Sarasota History Alive! is the sponsor this week. Be the first to answer the mystery question, and we will send you a gift certificate from Target.

The Historic Homes Tour - Are You Ready?

The Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation is in the process of selecting the 20th Annual Historic Homes Tour residences for your viewing pleasure. The event will be held on March 7, 2010 and it is not too early to start making plans.

The Alliance has assigned their board members the tasks to make this annual event a huge success, and there is plenty of preparation to do, beginning today.

How can you help? Contact Jessie White of Sarasota Archictectural Salvage, and book an ad in the official program and listing of the historical homes on the upcoming tour. It is always beautifully executed and definately a keepsake for architecture fans and history buffs.

Please email Jessie White at, jesse@rmg.us, or phone him, 941-362-0803, to reserve you space today.