Circus elephant swam across the Alabama River at Claiborne in 1908

(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 “Circus elephant scorns ferry: He would rather walk across river than ride flatbed” was originally published in the Feb. 26, 1981 edition of The Monroe Journal in Monroeville, Ala.)

Today with modern methods of transportation available, no one gives a thought to the problems in trying to cross a river on a ferry, but imagine having to do so with circus wagons in the days before the bridge at Claiborne.

It was in the fall of 1908 when the ferry was still running across the Alabama River from the Gosport Road to the Claiborne Landing on the east bank.

The ferry was a busy place that day because the circus was coming to Claiborne along that route.

The wagons and equipment were strung out for several hundred yards approaching the ferry. The wild animal cages were mounted on wagons with one or two teams of horses pulling each wagon, depending on its size and contents.

Elephant was last

Last but not least was the circus elephant, bringing up the rear, swinging its trunk as it walked its slow, steady gait.

Several hurried trips were necessary so the wagons could reach the east bank and the top of the hill in time to set up for the night, but the deep sand on the west bank was a problem for wagons.

The local population lined the east banks, watching the horses struggling with the sand, until the circus people begun to use the elephant to help push the wagons while the horses pulled.

Wagons put on ferry

Slowly, one by one, the big wagons were eased on their way across the river on the flatboat, which was later replaced by a larger structure. The huge beast would be the last to cross the river because of its use in moving the equipment.

After much struggling, shouting and sweating, 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.

The ferry returned for its cargo of bone and muscle. After the flat was secured at the west bank, the elephant walked down the bank for boarding.

Slowly the huge animal placed his huge front feet on the ferry. But the flat settled in the water under his great weight, and the elephant backed away, refusing to board. Three times the wise old beast refused to trust the wooden flat.

For a moment, the crowd was puzzled. If the elephant refused to cross on the ferry, how would he join the rest of the circus?

How could he cross?

Finally, a long rope was placed around the neck of the elephant and the ferry backed away from the bank. As it did, the elephant gracefully eased himself into the water.

He waded until the water began to cover his whole body. Then he submerged and continued to walk along the bottom with nothing more than the end of his trunk above the water.

As the ferry approached the east bank, the huge mammoth slowly emerged from the river, walking slowly and carefully, but enjoying every moment of his unique stardom.

(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.)