1931: Circus elephant shoves car through garage wall in O’Fallon
On Monday, April 20, 1931, the Seils-Sterling Circus was in town. They pitched their tent at the west end of West Fourth Street for a 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. show featuring “the greatest wild animals, all star circus human wonders, acrobats, jugglers, leapers, 101 other wonders.” Admission prices were 25 and 50 cents.
A nearby resident, however, got a bonus after the late show. Heavy rain prompted one of the large elephants to seek dryer quarters. He found them in the garage of George Weber in the rear of 417 W. Fifth. But a car was already there. No problem. He just shoved the car through the wall and out of the way. He had just laid down to sleep when circus folks found him and took him back to the show grounds to help push stalled cars out of the mud.
75 years ago July 23, 1942
H. Edward Fischer Post American Legion and the Auxiliary are joining in a nation-wide drive to collect old Victrola and phonograph records in O’Fallon. These will be sent to central points where they are to be turned in for scrap. Funds derived will go for the purchase of new records and phonographs for the boys in the armed forces.
50 years ago July 20, 1967
The amazing story of SP/4 David Earl Hunter, who has miraculously escaped death three times in 82 days in Vietnam, has once again felt the “Hand of Death.” He is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Homer F. Hunter of Rural Route 1, O’Fallon. David, who volunteered for duty in South Vietnam in December 1966, arrived there on Feb. 5, 1967. He received his first wound on March 25 in the upper part of his left arm, and was again wounded in April when he received a shrapnel wound below his left arm. After returning from a week of rest and recreation in Hawaii in early June, he was wounded in action on June 17 north of Saigon. After returning from duty on July 15, he was wounded for the fourth time on July 18.
This story was originally published July 20, 2017 at 8:02 AM with the headline "1931: Circus elephant shoves car through garage wall in O’Fallon."