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The Small Idaho Town Ravaged By A Herd Of Elephants
In the 1920s, a quiet community was thrust into the headlines after its Mayor had to take on a herd of frightened circus animals
Small communities in Idaho are not typically associated with bands of elephants. That is except for one very unusual situation from nearly a century ago where five of the animals escaped from a traveling circus and wreaked so much havoc on a small town that the mayor ended up having to shoot one of them.
On a scorching hot 100+ degree day in August, 1928, five elephants out of a total of 12 somehow managed to escape from the Belle-Floto Circus as they were lodged at the Snake River Avenue circus grounds in Lewiston, Idaho. Named Babe, Tilly, Freida, Moe and Mary, the frightened pachyderms stormed through the modest downtown, seeking calm. During their escape, they managed to knock their trainer, William Jones, out cold.
Unfortunately, shrieking women and children running to get out of the way of the thundering herd only made the situation worse. During the rampage, storefronts, automobiles and homes incurred damage.
The bizarre carnage finally came to an end when the town’s Mayor, E.G. Braddock (who was also a doctor and seasoned hunter), managed to corner Mary, the…
