The Sparks Circus was purchased with some underhanded maneuvering when thought he was selling his circus to H. B. Gentry of Gentry Bros. Dog and Pony Shows fame, when in fact he was acting as an agent for the American Circus Corporation. On September 9, 1929, John Ringling bought the entire American Circus Corporation for a reported $1,700,00.00. Three weeks later, the Stock Market crashed.
Sparks Circus, 1929
| April 13 – Winston-Salem, North Carolina 15 – Lynchburg, Virginia 16 – Roanoke, Virginia 17 – Pulaski, Virginia 18 – Bristol, Tennessee 19 – Johnson City, Tennessee 20 – Kingsport, Tennessee 22 – Bluefield, West Virginia 23 – Gary, West Virginia 24 – Williamson, West Virginia 25 – Portsmouth, Ohio 26 – Ashland, Kentucky 27 – Logan, West Virginia 29 – Beckley, West Virginia 30 – Charleston, West Virginia May 1 – Huntington, West Virginia 2 – Parkersburg, West Virginia 3 – Clarksburg, West Virginia 4 – Fairmount, West Virginia 6 – Morgantown, West Virginia 7 – Connellsville, Pennsylvania 8 – Greensburg, Pennsylvania 9 – Indiana, Pennsylvania 10 – Vandergrift, Pennsylvania 11 – Charleroi, Pennsylvania 13 – Uniontown, Pennsylvania 14 – Somerset, Pennsylvania 15 – Cumberland, Maryland 16 – Hagerstown, Maryland 17 – Westminster, Maryland 18 – Annapolis, Maryland 20 – Chester, Pennsylvania 21 – Norristown, Pennsylvania 22 – Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 23 – Mt. Carmel, Pennsylvania 24 – Hazleton, Pennsylvania 25 – Honesdale, Pennsylvania 27 – Montclair, New Jersey 28 – Englewood, New Jersey 29 – Newburgh, New Jersey 30 – Westwood, New Jersey 31 – Westfield, New Jersey June 1 – Stapleton, S. I., New York 3 – Jackson Heights, Long Island, New York 4 – Richmond Hill, Long Island, New York 5 – Bayside, Long Island, New York 6 – Queens Village, Long Island, New York 7 – Mineola, Long Island, New York 8 – Rockville Center, Long Island, New York 10 – Poughkeepsie, New York 11 – Troy, New York 12 – Gloversville, New York 13 – Herkimer, New York 14 – Watertown, New York 15 – Potsdam, New York 17-18 – Montreal, Quebec, Canada 19 – Ottawa, Ontario, Canada 20 – Brockville, Ontario, Canada 21 – Kingston, Ontario, Canada 22 – Oshawa, Ontario, Canada 24 – Peterboro, Ontario, Canada 25 – Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada 26 – Cornwall, Ontario, Canada 27 – Granby, Ontario, Canada 28 – St. Johns, Ontario, Canada 29 – St. Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada July 1 – Lennoxville, Quebec, Canada 2 – Gorham, New Hampshire 3 – Lewiston, Maine 4 – Augusta, Maine 5 – Waterville, Maine 6 – Madison, Maine 8 – Bangor, Maine 9 – Dover-Foxcroft, Maine 10 – Houlton, Maine 11 – Caribou, Maine 12 – Edmunston, N. B., Canada 13 – Campbellton, N. B., Canada 15 – Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada 16 – Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada 17 – Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada 18 – New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, Canada 19-20- Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada 22 – Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada 23 – Newcastle, N. B., Canada 24 – Moncton, N. B., Canada 25 – St. John, N. B., Canada |
July 26 – Frederickton, N. B., Canada 27 – Calais, Maine 29 – Rockland, Maine 30 – Portland, Maine 31 – Rochester, New Hampshire August 1 – Gardner, Massachusetts 2 – Greenfield, Massachusetts 3 – North Adams, Massachusetts 5 – Dunkirk, New York 6 – Ashtabula, Ohio 7 – Painesville, Ohio 8 – Norwalk, Ohio 9 – Fremont, Ohio 10 – Sandusky, Ohio 12 – Greenville, Ohio 13 – Van Wert, Ohio 14 – Bryan, Ohio 15 – Kendallville, Indiana 16 – Coldwater, Michigan 17 – Hillsdale, Michigan 18 – Detroit, Michigan 19 – Mt. Clemens, Michigan 20 – Bad Axe, Michigan 21 – Saginaw, Michigan 22 – Flint, Michigan 23 – Alma, Michigan 24 – Cadillace, Michigan 26 – Petoskey, Michigan 27 – Traverse City, Michigan 28 – Manistee, Michigan 29 – Big Rapids, Michigan 30 – Sturgis, Michigan 31 – Warsaw, Indiana September 2 – Kokomo, Indiana 3 – Marion, Indiana 4 – Anderson, Indiana 5 – Rushville, Indiana 6 – Columbia, Indiana 7 – Martinsville, Indiana 9 – Bloomington, Indiana 10 – Bedford, Indiana 11 – Washington, Indiana 12 – Flora, Illinois 13 – Lawrenceville, Illinois 14 – Harrisburg, Illinois 16 – Mt. Vernon, Illinois 17 – McLeansboro, Illinois 18 – Owensboro, Kentucky 19 – Madisonville, Kentucky 20 – Bowling Green, Kentucky 21 – Glasgow, Kentucky 23 – Central City, Kentucky 24 – Paducah, Kentucky 25 – Marion, Illinois 26 – Murphysboro, Illinois 27 – Cairo, Illinois 28 – Flat River, Missouri 30 – Cape Girardeau, Missouri October 1 – Caruthersville, Missouri 2 – Blytheville, Arkansas 3 – Jonesboro, Arkansas 4 – West Plains, Missouri 5 – Walnut Ridge, Arkansas 7 – Batesville, Arkansas 8 – Conway, Arkansas 9 – Russellville, Arkansas 10 – Morrillton, Arkansas 11 – Hot Springs, Arkansas 12 – Pine Bluff, Arkansas 14 – Vicksburg, Mississippi 15 – Kosciusko, Mississippi 16 – Water Valley, Mississippi 17 – Winona, Mississippi 18 – Columbus, Mississippi 19 – Jasper, Alabama 21 – Greenville, Alabama 22 – Pensacola, Florida 23 – Chipley, Florida 24 – Tallahassee, Florida 25 – Lake City, Florida 26 – Ocala, Florida 28 – St. Petersburg, Florida 29 – Tampa, Florida 30 – Lakeland, Florida 31 – Orlando, Florida November 1 – DeLand, Florida 2 – Gainesville, Florida End of season |
Total mileage for season 14,958. Winter quarters Central City Park, Macon, Georgia.
Courtesy of the Circus Historical Society, Inc.
