Singleton recounts circus crossing of Alabama River at Claiborne in 1908

Old bridge across the Alabama River at Claiborne.

(For decades, local historian and paranormal investigator George “Buster” Singleton published a weekly newspaper column called “Somewhere in Time.” The column below, which was titled “The day the circus crossed the Alabama” was originally published in the March 9, 1972 edition of The Monroe Journal in Monroeville, Ala.)

It was in the fall of 1908 – before the present bridge was built, spanning the Alabama River at Claiborne. Up the river, where the boating landing is now located, was the ferry. This was, at the time, the only means of crossing the swift river, other than swimming.

The ferry was a busy place this particular day in 1908 due to the fact the circus was coming to Claiborne. It would be coming down the Gosport Road, from the area of Grove Hill, where it held its last performance.

The wagons and equipment were strung out for several hundred yards and along the road approaching the ferry. The wild animals’ cages were mounted on wagons with one or two teams of horses pulling each wagon, depending on the size and number of the animals. Last, but not least, was the circus elephant bringing up the rear, walking at a slow swinging gait.

For the next few hours the ferry would be busy making several hurried trips across the river so the wagons could reach the east bank and the top of the hill in time to set up for the night.

The bank on the Claiborne side of the river was lined with the local population, waiting and watching for the big event of ferrying the circus across. Slowly, one by one, the big wagons eased their way into the flat boat which was to take them safely across to the other side.

The deep sand on the west bank was a problem for the heavy wagons as they moved down to the water to board the ferry. The elephant was used to help push the heavy wagons through the deep sand. The huge beast would be the last to cross the river because of its use in the moving of the equipment.

After much struggling and shouting and sweat, the last wagon was loaded aboard the ferry for the trip across the river. All that remained on the west side was the elephant and its trainer. At last the ferry returned for its cargo of bone and muscle. After the flat was secured to the west bank, the elephant was walked down for boarding.

Slowly the big animal placed his huge front feet on the ferry, and as the flat settled down in the water under his great weight, the elephant would back away, refusing to step up and stand on the flat boat. Three times the wise old beast refused to trust the ferry with its equipment.

Finally, a long rope was placed around its neck and as the ferry backed away from the bank, the elephant gracefully eased himself into the water. He waded until the water began to cover the whole body. Then he submerged and continued to walk along the bottom with nothing more than the end of his truck above the water. As the ferry approached the east bank, the huge mammoth slowly emerged from the river, walking slowly and carefully, enjoying every minute of it.

Today, with our modern methods of transportation, no thought would be given to the crossing of the river by an elephant. A huge van would speed across the bridge and no one would be the wiser. But in 1908, it was a day to be remembered. After all, it’s not everyday that one sees a elephant wade the Alabama River.

[This column also included a photo taken by Singleton that carried the following caption: The Claiborne Bridge. A ferry once did its job, and once even an elephant helped out.]

(Singleton, the author of the 1991 book “Of Foxfire and Phantom Soldiers,” passed away at the age of 79 on July 19, 2007. A longtime resident of Monroeville, he was born to Vincent William Singleton and Frances Cornelia Faile Singleton, during a late-night thunderstorm, on Dec. 14, 1927 in Marengo County, graduated from Sweet Water High School in 1946, served as a U.S. Marine paratrooper in the Korean War, worked as a riverboat deckhand, lived for a time among Apache Indians, moved to Monroe County on June 28, 1964 and served as the administrator of the Monroeville National Guard unit from June 28, 1964 to Dec. 14, 1987. He was promoted from the enlisted ranks to warrant officer in May 1972. For years, Singleton’s columns, titled “Monroe County history – Did you know?” and “Somewhere in Time” appeared in The Monroe Journal, and he wrote a lengthy series of articles about Monroe County that appeared in Alabama Life magazine. It’s believed that his first column appeared in the March 25, 1971 edition of The Monroe Journal. He is buried in Pineville Cemetery in Monroeville. The column above and all of Singleton’s other columns are available to the public through the microfilm records at the Monroe County Public Library in Monroeville. Singleton’s columns are presented here each week for research and scholarship purposes and as part of an effort to keep his work and memory alive.)