Miss Fancy: Difference between revisions
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[[Image:Miss Fancy 1915.jpg|right|thumb|375px|Miss Fancy with Allen in 1915]] | [[Image:Miss Fancy 1915.jpg|right|thumb|375px|Miss Fancy with Allen in 1915]] | ||
'''Miss Fancy''' (born | '''Miss Fancy''' (born [[October 12]], [[1871]]; died [[1954]] in Buffalo, New York) was an elephant that served as the star attraction at the [[Birmingham Zoo]] when it was located in the southeast corner of [[Avondale Park]] from [[1913]] to [[1934]]. | ||
[[Image:Hagenbeck-Wallace poster.jpg|left|125px]] | [[Image:Hagenbeck-Wallace poster.jpg|left|125px]] | ||
The [[Birmingham Advertising Club]] bought the 41 year-old for $2000 from the struggling Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus in [[1913]]. They used her as a promotional gimmick and, once the novelty faded, donated her to the city. Another story, promulgated by former ''Miami Herald'' editor [[Ellis Hollums]], is that ''[[Birmingham Age-Herald]]'' publisher [[Ed Barrett]] won her from a circus owner in a poker game. In any case, the ''Age-Herald'' took credit for presenting the animal as a gift "to the children of Birmingham". $500 was raised through children's donations of pennies to provide for her care. The city constructed a green-painted elephant house at Avondale Park. She was initially placed under the custodianship of [[Dayton Allen]], who was instructed on her care and handling by circus trainer Curly Hayes. | The [[Birmingham Advertising Club]] bought the 41 year-old for $2000 from the struggling Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus in [[1913]]. They used her as a promotional gimmick and, once the novelty faded, donated her to the city. Another story, promulgated by former ''Miami Herald'' editor [[Ellis Hollums]], is that ''[[Birmingham Age-Herald]]'' publisher [[Ed Barrett]] won her from a circus owner in a poker game. In any case, the ''Age-Herald'' took credit for presenting the animal as a gift "to the children of Birmingham". $500 was raised through children's donations of pennies to provide for her care. The city constructed a green-painted elephant house at Avondale Park. She was initially placed under the custodianship of [[Dayton Allen]], who was instructed on her care and handling by circus trainer Curly Hayes. | ||
Miss Fancy was an early and enduring favorite of the city's white schoolchildren. African-Americans were not admitted to Avondale Park under the city's [[segregation laws]]. The publicity surrounding the new attraction led members of [[16th Street Baptist Church]] to petition the city to be allowed to picnic at the park one Sunday. The [[Birmingham City Commission]] accepted the petition, and decided to allow all Black residents to visit the park on [[July 9]], [[1914]]. The decision was harshly criticized by the [[Avondale Civic League]], and the church withdrew its request. | |||
Miss Fancy was reported to have eaten 150 pounds of hay and three gallons of grain per day, washed down with 60-115 gallons of fresh water and supplemented by popcorn, peanuts, apples and watermelons brought to her by residents. Despite being exercised by giving rides to children and leading parades to [[Legion Field]] before the annual [[BSC Panthers|Birmingham-Southern]]-[[Samford Bulldogs|Howard]] football game, Miss Fancy managed to grow from 4,800 to over 8,500 pounds during her years in Birmingham. | Miss Fancy was reported to have eaten 150 pounds of hay and three gallons of grain per day, washed down with 60-115 gallons of fresh water and supplemented by popcorn, peanuts, apples and watermelons brought to her by residents. Despite being exercised by giving rides to children and leading parades to [[Legion Field]] before the annual [[BSC Panthers|Birmingham-Southern]]-[[Samford Bulldogs|Howard]] football game, Miss Fancy managed to grow from 4,800 to over 8,500 pounds during her years in Birmingham. | ||
[[Image:Miss fancy.jpg|right||thumb|375px|Postcard showing Miss Fancy]] | [[Image:Miss fancy.jpg|right||thumb|375px|Postcard showing Miss Fancy]] | ||
Miss Fancy was also known to be a drinker, consuming quarts of confiscated | Miss Fancy was also known to be a drinker, consuming quarts of confiscated whiskey provided by city officials during [[prohibition]]. The liquor was mixed with the elephant's feed as a treatment for constipation or chills. A good bit of it also found its way into the throat of her long-time caretaker, [[John Todd]], who often appeared drunk in public. Miss Fancy often escaped from her enclosure and wandered the streets of Avondale, [[Woodlawn]] and [[Forest Park]], sampling the delights of kitchen gardens and peeping into windows. She was almost always a gentle presence, but on at least two occasions she caused damage to property. Once, in [[1925]] she knocked over the park's cookhouse and kicked over a couple of fire hydrants. In Spring of [[1931]] she barreled through the trees up [[Red Mountain]] in an apparent rage. | ||
In October 1931, the zoo organized a sixtieth birthday celebration for Miss Fancy.<!-- Another Birthday is Near/City to Give Only Elephant Resident Nice Beauty Treatment, Manicure and Possibly Extra Helping of Cereal As Anniversary Gift Another birthday—the sixtieth in her young career—will roll around for "Miss Fancy" Oct. 12 and in celebration of the event the city of Birmingham will give her a new beauty treatment, a manicure and possibly an extra helping of cereal for breakfast. The party which the city will give "Miss Fancy, " the first and only representative of the elephantine family to reside in Birmingham, is an annual event at Avondale Zoo. It will be directed by John Dodd, her negro keeper, who has cared for her needs since she quit a hectic circus career in 1912 to spend the rest of her days in retirement here. The beauty treatment will consist of a new bath in oil, which will remove the barnacle-appearing scales which have accumulated on her mountainous sides this Summer. Five gallons of a special preparation known as "neat's-[illegible]" will be required to give her that flapper complexion to which an elephant of her young years is entitled. The oil will be administered by Todd who has attended to her cosmetic treatments for years and will be daubed on by a large brush. Then "Miss Fancy" will be ready for her Fall manicure. Cuticle Needs Attention – During the Summer the five toes on her feet have become a bit unsightly. Hangnails have appeared in abundance and her cuticle needs attention. Although "Miss Fancy" has tusks about two inches in length, it will not be necessary to saw them off until next year, Todd says. While "Miss Fancy" is nearing her sixtieth year, she still has [13?] years before becoming full grown. An elephant in captivity has an average [illegible sentence]. Consequently, she will not reach her maturity until her seventy-fifth milestone is passed. "Miss Fancy, " though a circus trooper in her youth, is an Indian elephant, her keeper says, and therefore is of aristocratic elephant lineage. Elephants come from India and Africa, he says, but the Indian branch of the family is more gentile than the hairy, uncouth pachyderms from the African jungles. "Miss Fancy" quit the circus in 1913 when the late Edward W. Barrett purchased her from the Hagenb[e?]ck-Wallace Shows passing through Birmingham, for $2, 000 and gave her to the city. More Dignified Now – At the time she was at the tender age of [43?] years and was barely more than a child. She weighed only [4, 8?00] pounds. Now she weighs 8, 560 pounds and is much taller and considerably more dignified. Todd says she still has more height and [girth?] ahead of her before passing through middle age. During her residence here she has had the wanderlust but twice. Once, about six years ago, she broke away from her moorings, kicked over a couple of water hydrants, battered down the park cookhouse and fled toward the mountain. Todd said he finally tracked "Miss Fancy" down in Mountain Terrace and after whispering a few words into her ear finally persuaded her to return to the zoo. Damage from the park resulting from the escapade cost the city $75, he said. The hinterlands beckoned to her again this Spring, he said. "Miss Fancy" who had been placed on the zoo grazing ground suddenly skipped away and was found on Overlook Road on Red Mountain. The spirit of Spring so moved her on this occasion that she pushed over several trees before yielding to capture. Exhibition Purposes – "Miss Fancy" occasionally gets a glimpse of the old circus life when she is taken out for exhibition purposes. She rarely misses the annual Howard-Birmingham-Southern football game, thanks to enthusiastic college boys who escort her to Legion Field to help in making whoopee at the game. Every now and then "Miss Fancy" finds useful tasks to perform such as boosting stranded automobiles from bogholes. Todd says she has never failed to rescue an automobile or truck, usually sending them on their way by the first gentle thrust of her titanic snout. Hale and hearty otherwise, "Miss Fancy" has suffered a few times from a stomach disorder and from chills. Liquor, prescribed by the zoo's veterinarian, with a dash of elephant medicine, he says, has never failed to get immediate results. The keeper said "Miss Fancy" can be made to take any kind of medicine if it is mixed with a quart or so of liquor, but. even when in her [cups?] "Miss Fancy" knows how to act the part of the elephant lady. Very Fond of Water – But "Miss Fancy" is very fond of water as well as medicine, he said. In Summer she drinks 100 to 110 gallons of water a day and in Winter her capacity never falls below 50 gallons. Her appetite is consistently good too, according to the keeper. Her daily diet calls for 125 pounds of hay and five gallons of grain. Her monthly board bill at wholesale prices is $100. Keeper Todd said "Miss Fancy" is no dumbbell, and verified the tradition that elephants have everlasting memories. Todd says he was in the army 10 months during the war but the day he returned to the zoo, "Miss Fancy" elevated her snout sharply the moment she saw him and welcomed him back with a series of terrific trumpet calls. Elephants know people who give them peanuts, he said, and "Miss Fancy" always extends her snout the minute she sights a person who has previously favored her. And they know a lot of tricks, but will perform them for their most intimate acquaintances, he said. "Beela" Magic Word – As an example, Todd walked to "Miss Fancy, " took her gently by the right ear and muttered a word apparently in circus jabber, which sounded like "beela." "Miss Fancy" promptly extended her right leg for Todd to stand on, and lifted him to her back. --> | |||
The $4,600 annual expense of keeping the animal menagerie operating led [[Birmingham Board of Parks and Recreation|Park Board]] to suggest closing the zoo as early as [[1932]]. The [[Birmingham Board of Education]] declined an offer to take over Miss Fancy's care, as did former Mayor [[George Ward]], proprietor of the Roman-styled [[Vestavia (estate)|Vestavia]] estate on [[Shades Mountain]]. He told the board that "Lions, tigers and elephants contributed to the downfall of the Roman Empire. No elephant will have the opportunity to bring about the disintegration of my Roman empire." | The $4,600 annual expense of keeping the animal menagerie operating led [[Birmingham Board of Parks and Recreation|Park Board]] to suggest closing the zoo as early as [[1932]]. The [[Birmingham Board of Education]] declined an offer to take over Miss Fancy's care, as did former Mayor [[George Ward]], proprietor of the Roman-styled [[Vestavia (estate)|Vestavia]] estate on [[Shades Mountain]]. He told the board that "Lions, tigers and elephants contributed to the downfall of the Roman Empire. No elephant will have the opportunity to bring about the disintegration of my Roman empire." | ||
Revision as of 16:04, 11 December 2013
Miss Fancy (born October 12, 1871; died 1954 in Buffalo, New York) was an elephant that served as the star attraction at the Birmingham Zoo when it was located in the southeast corner of Avondale Park from 1913 to 1934.
The Birmingham Advertising Club bought the 41 year-old for $2000 from the struggling Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus in 1913. They used her as a promotional gimmick and, once the novelty faded, donated her to the city. Another story, promulgated by former Miami Herald editor Ellis Hollums, is that Birmingham Age-Herald publisher Ed Barrett won her from a circus owner in a poker game. In any case, the Age-Herald took credit for presenting the animal as a gift "to the children of Birmingham". $500 was raised through children's donations of pennies to provide for her care. The city constructed a green-painted elephant house at Avondale Park. She was initially placed under the custodianship of Dayton Allen, who was instructed on her care and handling by circus trainer Curly Hayes.
Miss Fancy was an early and enduring favorite of the city's white schoolchildren. African-Americans were not admitted to Avondale Park under the city's segregation laws. The publicity surrounding the new attraction led members of 16th Street Baptist Church to petition the city to be allowed to picnic at the park one Sunday. The Birmingham City Commission accepted the petition, and decided to allow all Black residents to visit the park on July 9, 1914. The decision was harshly criticized by the Avondale Civic League, and the church withdrew its request.
Miss Fancy was reported to have eaten 150 pounds of hay and three gallons of grain per day, washed down with 60-115 gallons of fresh water and supplemented by popcorn, peanuts, apples and watermelons brought to her by residents. Despite being exercised by giving rides to children and leading parades to Legion Field before the annual Birmingham-Southern-Howard football game, Miss Fancy managed to grow from 4,800 to over 8,500 pounds during her years in Birmingham.
Miss Fancy was also known to be a drinker, consuming quarts of confiscated whiskey provided by city officials during prohibition. The liquor was mixed with the elephant's feed as a treatment for constipation or chills. A good bit of it also found its way into the throat of her long-time caretaker, John Todd, who often appeared drunk in public. Miss Fancy often escaped from her enclosure and wandered the streets of Avondale, Woodlawn and Forest Park, sampling the delights of kitchen gardens and peeping into windows. She was almost always a gentle presence, but on at least two occasions she caused damage to property. Once, in 1925 she knocked over the park's cookhouse and kicked over a couple of fire hydrants. In Spring of 1931 she barreled through the trees up Red Mountain in an apparent rage.
In October 1931, the zoo organized a sixtieth birthday celebration for Miss Fancy.
The $4,600 annual expense of keeping the animal menagerie operating led Park Board to suggest closing the zoo as early as 1932. The Birmingham Board of Education declined an offer to take over Miss Fancy's care, as did former Mayor George Ward, proprietor of the Roman-styled Vestavia estate on Shades Mountain. He told the board that "Lions, tigers and elephants contributed to the downfall of the Roman Empire. No elephant will have the opportunity to bring about the disintegration of my Roman empire."
Miss Fancy was ultimately sold, along with the rest of the park's exotic animals, to the Cole Brothers - Clyde Beatty Circus of Rochester, Indiana for a total of $710. Circus crews arrived on November 11, 1934 to accompany the elephant to her new quarters in Peru, Indiana. The first boxcar proved too small for the giantess, and she waited by the rail siding for a larger carriage, which departed the city about 7:00 PM. Todd rode with her, but soon returned to Birmingham and worked in the city's greenhouse. The Cole Brothers soon announced the acquisition of "Frieda", an 8,600 lb. elephant from Birmingham, "which towered over the other three in the elephant row". That name didn't seem to stick, and she toured with the circus as "Bama" in 1935 and 1937.
In April 1939 the circus sold her to the Buffalo, New York zoo, which had been newly expanded with help from the Works Progress Administration. She remained there until her death in 1954.
Miss Fancy was mentioned in Fannie Flagg's novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café. Her image was adopted in the logo of the Avondale Brewing Company. A diminuative bronze statue was added as a centerpiece of the plaza of the renovated Avondale Park in 2012.
Notes
- The Cole Bros. Circus acquired another "Frieda" in 1947. This Frieda died of old age in 1957. Yet another Frieda from the Cole Bros. Circus was involved in a series of fatal incidents and two rampages from 1985-1995.
References
- "'Miss Fancy', the Elephant Presented to the Children of Birmingham by the Age-Herald, Out for Her Morning Walk in the Avondale Zoo with Her Keeper, Dayton Allen." (November 14, 1915) Birmingham Post-Herald rotogravure section
- Conway, Chris. "Personable Pachyderm: She Was City's Pride." (July 15, 1968) Birmingham Post-Herald
- "Circus Officials and Celebreties Meet at Quarters." (November 17, 1934) Rochester (Indiana) News-Sentinel, quoted in Wendell C. and John B. Tombaugh (2001) "Fulton County Indiana Handbook: Cole Bros. Clyde Beatty Circus." Rochester, Indiana: Tombaugh House
- Baggett, James L. (Fall 2012) "Miss Fancy, Queen of the Avondale Zoo." Alabama Heritage. No. 106, pp. 56-8