Summer arrived in Concord with the children enjoying their newfound freedom from the classrooms. There was swimming down at the Merrimack River, games of ball, wrestling on the state house lawn after a game of marbles and, of course, the circus.
Children growing up in Concord were subjected to hard work on farms and chores assigned by their parents. Time spent with friends was a welcome event, especially during the warm summer months when the days tended to be more carefree. Sometimes these events were quite exciting and anticipated throughout the entire year as the children studied in their classrooms or worked on the family farms.
It was back in the year 1825 that J. Purdy Brown from Somers, N.Y., replaced the wooden structures used for entertaining crowds with canvas tents. These tents allowed the performers to become somewhat transient and travel from town to town to entertain people during the warmer weather. J. Purdy Brown knew of a cattle dealer named Hachaliah Bailey that purchased an African Elephant and took it on tour around cities and towns in the United States. With the advent of the large canvas circus tent, people like Brown and Bailey sought the opportunity to organize with many local New York farmers to create the Zoological Institute, which controlled 13 menageries by 1835 and cornered the market on traveling circuses. In addition to displaying exotic animals the traveling circus added acrobats, jugglers, the flying trapeze and lion tamers to entice the people to attend their performances each evening.
When the circus visited Concord each year it was met with great anticipation from the public. There was much hardship during this period and the people sought relief from the long winters, difficult work and impoverished environment to enjoy life.
When the circus was scheduled to visit Concord in 1848, our ancestors witnessed the Howe’s and Company Great United States Circus. There was some local discussion regarding the alcohol that was known to be consumed during the circus event each year. In 1848, Concord officials would not grant a permit to the circus to perform in town, so the entertainers simply relocated just over the town line in Bow near the railroad crossing. It was a short distance for the people of Concord to commute and a grand time was indeed had by all.
As the big tent was raised down the road in Bow the children were very excited to visit with their parents and siblings. Little Henry Young lived at 26 Green St., in Concord and was gathered with his friends playing in the unpaved street near the current Concord City Hall area. They were not paying much attention to the slow-moving wagons as they passed, nor were they concerned with anything but the warmth of summer. As the boys continued to remain captivated by their game of marbles, there was a commotion to the south on Green Street that they continued to ignore.
It was within a few short moments that the young boys engaged in a game of marbles were bolted back to their senses, for something was happening and all eyes turned toward the southern part of Green Street. Ladies in elegant dresses of the day and gentlemen out for a stroll all ran for the edge of the road for a collision was most certain.
The boys also quickly retrieved their marbles and ran for cover, just in time, for charging north up the middle of Green Street was the largest wild animal they had ever seen. People were screaming and running, but the boys were safely off the road and quite amazed, for they had just witnessed for the very first time a massive buffalo heading towards Pleasant Street.
Boys will be boys, they immediately gave chase to the buffalo and continued in hot pursuit as it progressed in a westerly direction up the hill. It was not long before both the buffalo and the boys tired upon arriving on Fruit Street. There was an open shed and the animal was eventually lured into the shed where the doors were secured. The Concord Police were immediately notified and two Irish Police Officers arrived on foot quickly to make short order of solving this mystery.
Soon the proprietors of the circus wandered into town sheepishly inquiring with the people of Concord as to the whereabouts of their wayward buffalo. The large buffalo was secured and returned to the show over the line in Bow, leaving many to wonder what they had just witnessed.
The story was handed down as the young boys became old men. Many a late night at the local taverns heard tales of the buffalo stampede over on Green Street.
The next time you decide to walk across Green Street be extra cautious, you never know when the circus might be in town.