Elmer H. Jones

Elmer H. Jones was born in Chandlers Valley, Warren County, Pennsylvania in 24 Mar 1873.  He died 8 Apr 1962 in Warren, Pennsylvania.

Burma Gertrude Russell was born 13 Jul 1896 in Lafayette Springs, Mississippi.  She died 22 Sep 1967 in Warren, Pennsylvania.

Marriage date unknown, likely in Arkansas.

Residences

1. They lived in their own rail car while traveling with the circus 
2. 17 South State Street, North Warren  

 Children

1. Charlotte (Jones) Calderwood was born 21 Jan 1925 in Little Rock, Arkansas.  She married  W. Scott Calderwood in 1951 and had five children. She died at age 86 on 21 Nov 2012 in Warren, Pennsylvania.
2. Elmer H. Jones, Jr. was born 10 Mar 1927 in Arkansas.  He married Barbara (marriage date unknown) and had three children.   He died on 29 Sep 1978 in North Warren, Pennsylvania.
3. Carlton R. Jones was born 17 Jan 1932 in New York.  He married Sharon in 1956 and had three children.  They currently reside in Warren, Penn

Circuses

Source:  Bandwagon, Vol. 2, No. 2 (Mar-Apr), 1958, p. 7.
Name - Years Operated - Owners

L-R. Elmer H. Jones with H.J. Williams, agent, and Louis Bridewell, 1909

JONES BROS. MODEL PLATE - 1904 to 1911 – Elmer and J. Augustus Jones
WEST & WELLS - 1907 - Elmer H. Jones
KING & TUCKER - 1908 to 1910 - Elmer H. Jones
COULTER & COULTER - 1909 to 1910 - Elmer H. Jones
RICE BROS. - 1909-1921-1924 - Elmer H. Jones
COLE & ROGERS - 1910-11-28-29 - Elmer H. Jones
MONTGOMERY-QUEEN - 1910 to 1912 - Elmer H. Jones
PARK'S & BANK'S - 1910 - Elmer H. Jones
COLE & COOPER - 1913 - Elmer H. Jones
STONE & MURRAY - 1914 - Elmer H. Jones
HUGO BROS. - 1915 to 1918 - Elmer H. Jones
COOPER BROS. - 1916 to 1927 - Elmer H. Jones,
COLE BROS. - 1921 to 1924 - Elmer H. Jones
COLE BROS. - 1918 to 1919 - Elmer H. Jones
WHEELER BROS. - 1921 - Elmer H. Jones
COLE & ROGERS - 1934 in Canada - Elmer H. Jones
COOPER BROS. 1937 in Canada - Elmer H. Jones

Ownership is not clear in the few articles about the brothers' business dealings.  It appears that at times J. Augustus Jones was the owner outright of some operations, that Elmer and J.Augustus co-owned other circuses and that Elmer was sole owner of other ventures.  It also has been noted that the family farm of Charles and Charlotte Jones was mortgaged at times to underwrite various circus operations.  In addition the farm served for a time as a wintering station for livestock and circus animals.

Elmer was able to operate his circuses through the first years of the depression.  He sold his circuses in 1937. 

After retiring from circuses, he became involved with the Circus Historical Society.  The CHS met in 1947 in Jamestown, New York for their annual convention.

Source:  Billboard Magazine, 16 Aug 1947

Circus  Bibliography

1. F.M. Farrell.           Two Car Railroad Circuses, Bandwagon, Aug 1946, p.  2-4.
2. Anon.                     March Marks Seventy-Fifth Anniversary of Two-Car Circus King, Bandwagon, Vol 3,                                  No. 2 (Mar), 1948 p.  3-4.
3. Pfening, Fred D. Jr. Two Car Circuses, Bandwagon, Vol. 31, No. 4 (Jul-Aug), 1987, p 4-20. More about Jones Bros. Circus.
4. Moses, L.G.            Wild West Shows and the Images of American Indians, 1883-1933. Univ of New Mexico Press, 1996, p 317 includes Indian Bill's Wild West and Jones Bros circuses.
5. Stencell, A. W.       Girl Show: Into the Canvas World of Bump and Grind. ECW Press, 1999, page 37. discusses the two-car circuses of Elmer H. Jones
6. Abbott, Lynn and   Ragged But Right: Black Traveling Shows, "Coon Songs," and the Dark  
   Seroff, Doug          Pathway to Blues and Jazz. Univ. Press of Mississippi, 2007. Details blues act of Elizabeth "Lizzie" Miles and the J.C. Miles Band and Minstrels who toured with Elmer H. Jones in 1914-1918, p. 178-183. Notes that Jones was the uncle of C.L. Erickson, proprietor of the Alabama Minstrels, a traveling show that hired J.C. Miles in 1914 and was the feature act of the side show tent. 
7. John C. Kunzog.    Kicking Sawdust in the Center Ring of Memories, The Story of J. Augustus Jones and His Circuses, Bandwagon, Vol 21, No. 2 (Mar-Apr), 1977 p.  4-16.
   
   

Additional Documents:  W.P. Henritze circus collection. MS 2504. Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library. University of Georgia Libraries.

Additional Circus Photographs:  See the excellent blog for Thursday, April 28, 2011 at Buckles Blog.

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