From the Journals of William Burl Kincaid, Jr.: Circuses in Owingsville

In 1972, Daddy and I went to see the Clyde Beatty/Cole Bros. Circus in Lexington in the Turfland Mall parking lot. I was ten and had only been to see the lights, glamour and glitter of Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey. When we arrived, the tent was a dull gray, but the side show barker was by no means dull: “It’s never out, never over, going on all the time! See the circus side show, the bearded lady, the sword swallower….it’s never out and never over……step right up young man!” Daddy was leery of the side show, concerned that I might see something I shouldn’t, but we did see the animals in the menagerie tent.

The show had kept the name of the famous animal trainer Clyde Beatty. The cat act was done by another man who imitated Beatty with the same costume, a whip, a chair and a gun. Just for the hoot of it, he would fire off the gun! We both laughed since it was really uncalled for and outdated. It started raining outside and the tent leaked directly on me. I didn’t miss anything though….just slid on down a seat or two. Today the show is the Cole Bros. Circus and they have a beautiful new tent that doesn’t leak.

As you can tell, this is where my love for all circuses and the circus arts stems from. Before Rupp Arena opened in 1976, he would drive us yearly in our big Buick to Louisville’s Freedom Hall to see the RBB&B show. We probably ate cheap, but we always had front row seats for the show no matter the cost. We were often late for church but never for the big show. We were the first ones there and the last to leave. I loved it! At any moment when things would slow down slightly, I would wonder around back stage and in the alley getting clowns’ autographs!

When Daddy grew up the circus was one of the main events of the year. He met the show people and even remembered the elephants’ names. This was one of his favorite stories, as it included both the circus and Big Band music:

Hey, it’s circus time and how thrilling it is! Spine tingling, exciting - you add a few superlatives of you own.

Clowns, elephants, high-flyers, calliopes, brass-bands, cotton candy and excited happy crowds!

In the nineteen teens, twenties, thirties and forties, many small circuses criss-crossed this great country. Small circuses were usually outstanding, and of course, most people could not travel any distance to attend the large ones.

Bath County had its share of small, good circuses. Sharpsburg, Bethel, Salt Lick, and Owingsville welcomed some of these circuses most every summer. One of the best circuses that was routed through this county was the Haag Brothers Circus or, as it was better known, "The Mighty Haag." This great, small circus had three large pachyderms which had to walk from one town to the next stand. When the circus had played in Flemingsburg, the elephants walked from there to Owingsville’s Kimbrough Park.

The "Mighty Haag" had a crackerjack band directed by a man named George James.* Please note that surname. You are right! Mr. James was the father of the great Harry James. Harry, of course is considered as one of the greatest trumpet players of all time.

Harry played in the Haag band while still a young lad and played in Bath County many times. Some true circus fans in the county knew George and Harry James. Mr. Willie Lacy knew both of these musicians and really treasured that memory.

The great trumpeter became iron lunged, as expressed by some musicians, but that in itself did not make him outstanding. He later added finesse and played in jazz and/or swing bands. Then Harry became an orchestra or dance band leader and then world famous.