by Pat Sides
Beginning in the late nineteenth century, merchants in downtown Evansville hosted a huge street fair to lure customers to their stores. The event created a carnival-like atmosphere with its booths, circus animals, and free entertainment.
One of the most popular acts was the renowned French-Canadian aerialist Achille Philion, seen here during his stunt that was billed as “the most perilous performance ever devised by mortal man.†He is performing in the first block of NW Second Street, fearlessly walking a wooden globe up the narrow track of a spiral tower, which rose fifty feet in the air.
Local newspapers reported that as the band played marches, the awe-struck spectators swayed to and fro, eagerly awaiting Philion’s rapid descent from the tower against the backdrop of a dramatic fireworks display. This photograph was likely taken around the mid-1890s, not long before a fall during a performance in another state forced Philion to retire from his adventurous career.
