I know that most carnivals winter in FL and it's mostly in one area. Can anyone tell me where that is? Also, I would like to know what amusement parks where in Jax FL abt. 1920 - is there a list for them somewhere? Am hoping that this chain might have had parks in Perry and Pensacola as well or, maybe played these towns/cities. Thanks so much.
The Sarasota/Bradenton area, although Al, the Giant, had the "Giant's Fish Camp," on Hwy 301 in Gibsonton, FL (close to the Sarasota/Bradenton area). He and my father were friends and we visited them often. My father worked for a trucking company that repaired and maintained the tractor engines, so one of the first things done when they got south, was to bring the trucks in for servicing. We always had free tickets, had circus people at our Sunday dinner table, and even visited them in their homes on Sunday drives (that all kids hate because you're stuck in the back seat with all your siblings). Jacksonville has great resources for history and genealogy. Give them a holler: library, genealogical & historical societies, newspaper files. Also try Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness for a volunteer to help guide you on who has what. I would imagine Pensacola would be too far north for the carnies, and way too cold. They really enjoyed the Florida sunshine, warmth, beaches, and the comraderie of being a unit. A lot were also familialy related and stayed close, lived close. When shopping in the big city of downtown Tampa, we knew who they were and why they were here and they were accepted as just-folks, which they were/are, not stared at as different. It was a common occurrence. I have very fond memories of all of dad's carnival and circus friends. Good luck in your search. Sue in Tampa At 12:23 PM 10/29/02 -0500, you wrote: >I know that most carnivals winter in FL and it's mostly in one area. Can >anyone tell me where that is? Also, I would like to know what amusement >parks where in Jax FL abt. 1920 - is there a list for them somewhere? Am >hoping that this chain might have had parks in Perry and Pensacola as well >or, maybe played these towns/cities. > >Thanks so much. > > >============================== >To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, >go to: >http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237