YESTERYEAR: Reitz Bowl Circus by Pat Sides
Since it was built in the early 1920s, Reitz Bowl has hosted a variety of activities besides football games. This photo was taken on August 20, 1941. On that night, thousands gathered to enjoy the seventh annual Playground Circus, which showcased local talent; the event brought the Recreation Department’s summer playground season to a close. Featured acts included trapeze artists, Kuku the chimpanzee and other animals from Mesker Zoo, horse-jumping, jugglers, and a death-defying motorcycle jump over fire. Of special interest was 15-year-old Betty Ann Pasco, a student who had been trained by local clown Happy Kellams to roll a ball with her feet down a narrow spiral path from a high tower.
