From Leora Goff Wilson’s memoir: “And attending the Guthrie County Fair was a highlight, too. Usually we took our dinner, as so many families did–fried chicken always and sandwiches, cake or cookies, and a jug of lemonade. If we had a dime to spend we were happy, and if a quarter, we were rich. One great thing at the county fair was the balloon ascension. It was exciting in the early days. Sometimes the man would have a lion or tiger with him when the balloon went up. He would release the animal with a parachute when not far up. We lived south of town and could see the balloon when it got high, when it released the smoke and gas, from our home 6 miles south.”
I was skeptical about the lion and had not been able to confirm her claim until this ad for the 1909 Audubon County Fair: “A live Lion up in a Balloon! What do you think of it? Going to an enormous height and descending in a parachute every afternoon between the hours of two and five o’clock. Prof. Robinson goes up with the Lion and they come down in different parachutes.”
This may have been a side endeavor of the John Robinson Circus, which toured from 1842 to 1911, one of the longest running family owned circuses in the US. It was owned and managed by four generations of John Robinsons.”
One of the Robinsons must have toured as Professor Robinson and his “live lion up in a balloon” must have made the circuit of Iowa, and maybe other, county fairs, at least in 1909.
This was before TV and radio, so families came up with their own entertainment or looked forward to fairs and circuses, Chautauqua, Independence Day gatherings, amusement parks, and even the Iowa State Fair.
See more stories from Grandma Leora’s early life in Leora’s Early Years: Guthrie County Roots. The Goff family lived in Audubon County for six years, when she rode a horse into Audubon for piano lessons, graduated from 8th Grade, the whole family rode into Audubon for Independence Day festivities, and when wind blew away their corn crop so they planted sweetcorn for the first time.
Here’s another story about the Goff family enjoying a circus.
A lion in a parachute?! That must have been quite a sight!!
And who thought up this stunt!
Beats me!!
Is it just me, or do people from bygone years, such as Leora in her 8th grade graduation photo, look older than similarly aged people today? Fall fairs! Boy do I remember the TVA&I Fair in Knoxville well! Never saw a lion tossed from a balloon or took our supper there, but we ate before we went and then spent the night touring the farm animal exhibits, domestic arts contest displays, etc. The nearest thing to a lion in a balloon was the demonstrations of rappelling by the Recondo Team from Fort Campbell. Great memories.
I think you’re right, Dennis, about looking older. I don’t think the lion in a balloon lasted long. It didn’t even make one of their posters, although a lion jumping onto a prancing pony for a ride sure did!
I was clearly born in the wrong decade! I would have loved the state, county and smaller fairs of Leora’s day.
How are things, Joy? I know you’ve told me, likely more than once, the date of the next infusion. I prat that it will, or has brought you some relief. 🙏❤️🇨🇦
Bless you, Gail! I’ve had relief for about a week (last infusion was 2 weeks ago) and saw the doctor Monday! It’s not nailed down yet, but I hope to be okayed for injections (at home) every 2 weeks instead of infusions (downtown hospital with challenging parking) every 2 months! I’m anemic but no longer afraid to eat something!
Praise the Lord! May the blessings continue to flow! (I’m sure that I did not type “prat” above. It should have been “hope.” I wonder how the spellchecker came up with that one!
Oh my goodness…so much enchantment in this post, Joy. Thank you! I don’t know if it was the balloon…the reference to a lion (oh my!) or the overall wholesomeness, but I couldn’t stop thinking about my love of “The Wizard of Oz” as a I read. And the photo of Leora…sigh. So good. Hugs and love to you! 💝
Oh, the Wizard, yes! Thank you, Vicki!
🥰☀️🥰
It may just be me, but somehow I don’t think taking a lion up in a balloon with you is a very good idea.
Yes! The stunt must not have lasted long. . .
Wonderful, Joy, to be with a lion, as long as you’re not its food.
You bet, TIm!
😊
[…] A Live Lion Up in a Balloon? by Joy on Joy Neal Kidney […]
So it was raining lions and tigers in Iowa? It has always rained cats and dogs everywhere else. The Guthrie County Fair must have been so much fun. 🙂
Good one, Nancy! Leora sure enjoyed the county fair, even during her much older years.