Daily Bros. Circus..1948

Posted By on October 18, 2008

Front entrance of the circus tent….1948.

Art Hackett wrote an interesting comment with a question. Please read you may have his answer.

Also Ward Hall has a comment. Thanks Ward.

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My name is Ivan M. Henry and I am the 4th generation of a circus/show business dynasty. I hope you enjoy the blog.

Comments

4 Responses to “Daily Bros. Circus..1948”

  1. Art Hackett says:

    I’m trying to track down a bit of circus history from Wahpeton, North Dakota. It’s kind of a long story I came across research a biographical film for a famous resident of the town. He’s a circus fan and talks at length about this mother taking him to a memorial in the city cemetery honoring three circus performers who were killed in a lighting strike and fire in 1897, The monument was erected by Ringling Bros so it could have been their circus. However several other folks from Wahpeton spoke of the accident as having happened in the 1940’s. We went to the marker and lo and behold, in addition to the original monument there is a separate marker in the same plot for a Herbert Joseph “Duke” Walker who lived from 1907 to 1948. Under his name it says, Daily Brothers Circus. What I’m wondering is whether there was another accident in which Mr. Walker died, or whether he died elsewhere and just wanted to be laid to rest with his fellow performers. Any ideas?

  2. Ward Hall says:

    Duke Walker was a trumpet player in the side show colored band on Daily Bros. for some years. An acomplished musician and very nice gentleman. A religious man who could usually be found reading his Bible in the sideshow between shows. He died at Wahpotone when the show played there in 1948. I was not there at the time. I rejoined the show a short time later at Twin Falls, Idaho. Duke was well respected and well remembered in the show. I expect he might have had no known family since he was buried in the circus plot at Wahpatong. In Memory, Ward Hall

  3. Ward Hall says:

    In reading my comment I see I mispelled the name of the town as well as Dukes name, for which I apologize.

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