Jeff Rankin: Chamber of Commerce had auspicious beginnings
Jeff Rankin
The Rankin File
Editor s Note: Jeff Rankin is on vacation this week. This column was originally published in October 2017.
At dawn on Aug. 26, 1912, the Rice & Dore shows started unloading its special train of 20 circus cars to transform downtown Monmouth into a massive carnival, highlighted by a water circus in which 30 swimmers and two diving horses performed in a 250,000-gallon tank. A loop-the-loop daredevil, tent shows, a fat lady, midgets, boa constrictors, a Ferris wheel and other circus attractions made the Public Square a festive spot, as today’s photo attests.