Circus Day, 1917 in Augusta was a Special Day for Solders Heading to War

On April 2, 1917, Pres. Wilson asked a joint session of the United States Congress for a declaration of war against the German Empire. Congress responded with the declaration on April 6. This was America's entry into World War 1 and 1000s of troops where being sent over seas to witness the horrors of war first hand. On April 20, Sparks Circus had just transported their great show from Bangor where they performed on the 19th to Augusta. This year, Circus Day was not only going to be the day in which
families gather to to watch the great circus parade come into town, set up and then spend the day exploring the wonders of the amazing pageantry. This year, it would also prove to be the day that our men serving would have a chance the escape the harsh realities of leaving home and the nightmares that were ahead of them. For this day, reality was replaced by the magical world of the traveling circus with Sparks being the only circus coming to our state this year and talks of it being the only appearance of a circus troupe in general until after the war. One newspaper article from the July 23, 1917 edition of the Lewiston Evening Journal reported on the matter as follows:

CIRCUS DAY SAW HIGH JINKS IN THE CAPITOL CITY - THE SOLDERS' REVEL!

The Entire Regiment Was Given Leave and The Boys Didn't Miss a Thing! 

If the soldiers never have another good time until they disembowel the German, they'll remember Friday evening, July 20, 1917.

There was a circus in town. There are no adequate words in the Anglo-Saxon tongue to express just what the combination of a circus and a group of 2000 soldiers means.

The entire regiments, for the
first time since mobilization, got permission to leave the camp field in a body. The soldiers cut loose and spread themselves all over the great white way of the sawdust ring.

With some of the last payroll still in their overalls, many groups of the olive drab fighters rode to the tent in automobiles. They didn't do a thing to the circus. The regiment alone would have made made a good audience.

Soldiers are furious spenders. They took in all the shows, filled up the elephants and camels with peanuts, bought pink lemonade, corn cakes, fans, song books, whistles, ice cream, photograph of all the freaks, flirted with the snake charmer, had their fortunes told, in fact, bought anything that was for sale under the canvas. About half the soldiers took their best girls. 

The soldiers saw the show thru to the finish, even to the concert that is always tacked on for good measure, and they lined up around the depot to watch the circus people pack up, the last soldier getting back to the camp field just at a time when "church yards yawn." 

This is a great but condensed newspaper write up of a day that clearly meant so much to these solders about to ship of into battle leaving their families and loved ones behind and heading into uncertainty. During this war, 116,708 American military personnel died and over 204,000 were wounded. For those who served and were present for "Circus Day", 1917, the Hell of war was out of mind, and no matter their fate, it was a memory they would hold in their hearts forever. 

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