From collection Jake Gillison Collection
LB2016.15.731
Sparks Circus at Battery Field, Eastport, Maine. The Sparks Circus began in the 1890s as the John H, Sparks Old Virginia Shows, it was a wagon show that toured the southern United States. The circus grew in size and by 1916 was a 15 car railroad show. Charles Sparks, The adopted son of John H. Sparks was now manager and the show continued to grow. By the mid-1920s the circus was moving on 20 railroad cars. Charles Sparks had resisted the show being sold to the American Circus Corporation, however, in 1928 the show was sold to a buyer, Charles not knowing the buyer was actually the American Circus Corporation. The ACC then sold the circus to Ringling who continued to operate it through 1931.
