Then & Now: The Ringling Bros Circus Visits Waxahachie, TX (1901)

Then and Now: Waxahachie, Texas

In this 1901 photograph, a crowd gathers in front of the Ellis County Courthouse to welcome the Ringling Brothers Circus to town.

Note how many people are gathered together on the courthouse balcony. While courthouses today are considered "sensitive" locations where visitors must go through airport-style security to get inside, courthouses were historically a central gathering point and hub of activity for the whole community - not just on the outside, but on the inside. This photograph is the product of a more civil era in which Americans trusted each other and shared the same basic values, customs, and civilities that might be considered absent in society today.

Fortunately, the Ellis County Courthouse (101 W. Main St., Waxahachie, TX) remains open for visitors to explore today without intrusive security screenings.

Song: Foster, Stephen Collins, et al. "Songs of the Past, No. 16." 1916. Audio. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/jukebox-18189/>.

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