Carnivals and the fair go together

Traveling carnivals have long been a mainstay of the fair. In the late 1800s, innovations in transportation and technology helped transform carnivals into traveling whirls of sideshows and sticky food.

The carnival as we know it is distinctly American. We invented cotton candy and the Ferris wheel took its first spin at the Chicago World's Fair in 1892.

The first carnival with its array of spinning rides and flashing lights came to the SEMO District Fair in the early 1900s.

Records show in 1951 the Sunset Amusement Co. Carnival with triple Farris wheels, kiddie rides, Tilt-a-Whirl, Octopus, Roll-o-Whip and a train, set up a midway at the fair grounds. Each ride was 9 cents, and at the grandstand Jimmy Downey and his Orchestra played in the afternoon and evenings.

Records also show a German carnival was at the fair in 1955, and in 1956 Miller's Circus performed.

An article in the Cape Girardeau Bulletin in 1971 read: " ... after trying a number of carnivals, in 1956 the Blue Grass Shows were engaged and have continued as a fair tradition."

But the carnivals also continued. In 1992 a newspaper article noted that Farrow Amusements used three diesel-powered generators to operate the rides at their midway at the fair.

There was plenty of entertainment before carnivals came on the scene.

In 1921, Fog Horn Clany and California Frank Hafley brought to the fair their Cowboys Round-up and Rodeo. It was a show of the frontier days with dozens of men and women from the plains of America. It was billed as "The greatest lot of horses and cattle ever used in a Wild West performance." There was bronco riding and busting, wild steer riding and roping, wild steer bulldogging, fancy shooting and fancy riding. And it was free.

In the early 1920s until the fair closed in 1929, there were athletic shows where fighting champions would take-on all comers. There was the Dixie Minstrels -- a genuine old-time Georgia minstrel group. There were vaudeville shows and circus side shows, which were a collection of freaks from all over the world. A midget troupe visited and was billed as "Entertaining tiny mites of humanity."

Records indicate the "guaranteed" body of John Wilkes Booth was on display. At another time, a water circus was at the fair. It featured Helen Osborn, said to be the champion lady diver of the world.

When the fair relocated to Arena Park in 1931, circus acts were introduced as more funds became available.

Harness racing was a highlight of the fair for many years. Garland "Frony" Fronabarger, long-time photographer for the Southeast Missourian, who retired in 1986 after 60 years with the paper, took many photos of fair fun including dust being kicked up at the harness racing track where horses pulled riders on a two-wheel cart.

Also, crowds enjoyed pacing, trotting and running horse races.

Tractor-pulling contests were big. There were different weight classes of tractors and they would pull a weighted, flat, iron sled measuring 10-by-24 feet in front of the grandstand. Tractors had to be farm-owned, two-wheel drive with rubber tires. The tractor traveling the farthest distance in 60 seconds would be declared winner in its class. Money and trophies were awarded.

Cal and Ruth Hudson's White Horse Show with 25 albino horses entertained in front of the grandstand in 1951.

In later years came the motor dome where fearless motorcycle riders rode around the wall of death. There were dog and pony shows of highly trained animals. There were war exhibits.

From 1969 to about 1976, crowds were mesmerized by the Joe Chitwood Thrill Show with the Danger Angels. The show consisted of new Chevys engaged in 27 daring acts. Chevys were driven on two side wheels. They would do slides, spins, rollovers and crashes. The finale was the Coca-Cola Cannon Jump. Chitwood would drive a speeding Chevy up a ramp inside a giant Coke can and blast through the air for 65 feet.

The fair, of course, has always had livestock as a focus. A yellowed and tattered newspaper advertisement announced the visit of Black Jack the Super Steer that was 6 feet tall and weighed 3,300 pounds. He was said to be 10,000 hamburgers on the hoof. Another advertisement from an unknown year heralded the exhibit of Hercules the Giant Horse that was 19 hands tall (6 feet 4 inches) and weighed 2,500 pounds.

For 150 years, the SEMO District Fair has entertained throngs of people in a great variety of ways.