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husheduphistory · 1 year

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No Laughing Matter: The Clowns and the Turmoil that Changed Toronto

In the summer of 1855 the city of Toronto was a far cry from the bustling capital city that it is today. Much closer to resembling the Wild West, the city was filled to the brim with bars, liquor shops, and brothels catering to the rotating population of approximately 40,000 people. Mary Ann Armstrong ran one of Toronto’s many “clubs” on the corner of King and Jarvis Streets and the combination bar and brothel was always busy, especially when new faces were passing through town. The sights, sounds, and stories that originated there are incalculable, but on one July night Armstrong’s establishment was the setup for an incident that sounds like a joke but was unfortunately very real with a horrible punchline. “A clown and a fireman walk into a bar…”

On the morning of July 12th 1855 a large group of travelers made their way into Toronto, but these visitors were a little more unusual than the normal passers-by, this was the S.B. Howes' Star Troupe Menagerie & Circus. S.B. Howe was one of the first circus companies to bring their act on tour traveling to one city and taking up residency for a few days before packing up their tents and disappearing from the scene. The circus was only supposed to be in town for two days and after their first performance a group of clowns decided to take in the town, eventually ending up at Mary Ann Armstrong’s building.

Illustration of King Street in Toronto circa 1855. Image via Wikimedia Commons.

The image might sound funny, a group of clowns walking into a rowdy, tough, and intimidating brothel and bar, but these clowns were not to be messed with. Their jobs went far beyond entertaining and included the physical labor of building, breaking down, packing up, and moving their entire community to each city on the tour. They were strong, bold, and did not back down from a fight, which was a recipe for disaster considering the other people visiting Armstrong’s that night.

Advertisement for the circus. Image via torontodreamsproject.blogspot.com/com/.

At this point in time fire departments were not formally established and individual companies formed privately and functioned for profit, racing to fires and charging a price before putting them out. It was not uncommon for rival fire companies to clash in the streets, sometimes requiring local law enforcement to intervene. Only two weeks before the circus came to town one local company, the Hook and Ladder Firefighting Company, was involved in a violent street brawl with another fire company that became known as the Fireman’s Riot. They were an aggressive group, and tonight they were visiting Armstrong’s establishment at the same time as the clowns.

There has never been a singular cause identified for what happened next. One account says that the clowns cut the line to get into the building. Another says one of the firemen named Fraser knocked a hat off the head of a clown named Meyers and refused to pick it up when asked. Others simply say it was a case of someone getting loud with someone else who did not take kindly to their tone. The result was an all-out brawl and by the time the police arrived the firemen were all beaten to a bloody pulp with two of them requiring medical attention at a hospital. The band of clowns simply went back out into the night to continue partying.

The situation was bad enough as is, but the political climate of the area made the conflict cut deeper. Much of Toronto’s population was made up of Irish Catholics but the city government was deeply Irish Protestant and Tory elite, supported by the Orange Order, who were also firmly in the corner of the bloodied Hook and Ladder Firefighting Company. As far as the fire department was concerned the clowns had just declared war.

When the S.B. Howes' Star Troupe Menagerie & Circus came into town they pitched their tents along the waterfront at the site of Fair Green, near the St. Lawrence Market. On the day after the brothel brawl, Friday the 13th, the merchants in the market were few and far between, there was word that something bad was brewing. Slowly they began to arrive to the circus grounds, a large mob of Orangemen of the Orange Order, and before long the rocks began to fly. The circus performers were able to hold back the assault for a short amount of time but when the fire department arrived it was not to help the entertainers, it was to destroy them. The members of the Hook and Ladder Firefighting Company arrived carrying pikes, pipes, and axes. They tore apart the circus tents, beat anyone in their paths, set fires, and knocked over wagons with a bloodthirsty ferocity. Police Chief Samuel Sherwood, a former tavern owner with no formal training, arrived and brought in a handful of constables throughout the day but never put a focused effort into quelling the violence. How could he? He was a part of the Orange Order himself and when later questioned about the level of power he had in his position as Chief his answer was “A very small one indeed…I give orders and instructions to the force, but cannot get them obeyed. As soon as I am out of sight, the men do as they please.” When the Mayor arrived at the scene he took matters into his own hands, wrestling an ax from a fireman who was about to murder one of the clowns and calling in a militia to finally put a stop to the violence. The clowns and other performers took what was left of their belongings and fled the city as quickly as possible.

Painting of Toronto showing the site of Fair Green. Image via http://torontodreamsproject.blogspot.com/

The aftermath of the riot was unfortunately familiar. When the Fireman’s Riot happened only weeks beforehand the memories of the police department and the firemen involved were suddenly and inexplicably fuzzy and they could not recall a single member of the Orange Order that was on the scene. One constable said it was too dark out to see any faces and another even said that the entire ordeal was carefully planned so that only people unfamiliar to the police would be involved. The exact same scenario played out again after the attack on the circus clowns and suddenly no one who advanced on the tents could recall anything that happened. Out of the entire mob only seventeen people were ever arrested and when they went to court every single person who attacked the circus that day was acquitted.

Article about the investigation of the Toronto Circus Riot. Image via torontoist.com.

The official word on what happened may have been hazy but the public saw the corruption very clearly and while they could not create change overnight, the Toronto Clown Riot proved to be a fatal blow to the too-long accepted state of things. After the riot it became much more common to question the conveniently selective memories of the police force that was given absolute power with no form of training. The formerly iron-clad coverups for the actions of the fire departments corroded and began to lose strength. The voices against the Orange Order got louder and louder.

One of the biggest indicators that the public had had enough came with the next election when for the first time in twenty years a mayor was elected that was backed by the Irish Catholics despite the hardest efforts of the Orange Order to prevent it. Reform and organization was needed and in 1858 the first provincially approved board put a restructuring of the new city government and police force into motion. In February of 1859 the entire police force was fired (roughly half that were not part of the Toronto Clown Riot were reinstated), a new chief was brought on board, and finally Toronto had a police force that was out of private hands, nonpolitical, and under close watch by the newly established city government.

The fates of many of the S.B. Howes' Star Troupe Menagerie & Circus clowns are greatly unknown and the clown named Meyers has faded into time. Little could he or any of the clowns imagined on that July night that getting into a fist fight with a gang of firemen in a brothel would lay the foundation for the establishment of Toronto’s first formal police department.

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Sources:

“Hidden History: The Toronto Circus Riot” by Lenny Flank. August 20th 2019

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/8/20/1870769/-Hidden-History-The-Toronto-Circus-Riot

“The Toronto Circus Riot of 1855 — the day the clowns picked the wrong Toronto brothel” by Adam Bunch. October 2nd 2012.

http://spacing.ca/toronto/2012/10/02/the-toronto-circus-riot-of-1855-the-day-the-clowns-picked-the-wrong-toronto-brothel/

“How a Fight With Clowns Led to the Birth of Modern Policing in Toronto “ by Patrick Metzger. September 12th 2013.

https://torontoist.com/2013/09/how-a-fight-with-clowns-led-to-the-birth-of-modern-policing-in-toronto/

“Infamous Clown Brawl in Brothel Gets Entire Toronto Police Force Fired “ by Sean Kernan. November 29th 2021.

https://medium.com/lessons-from-history/infamous-clown-fight-in-brothel-gets-entire-toronto-police-force-fired-ceca014addc6

“Clowns fighting firemen in Canada in 1855.” opposite-lock.com/topic/22965/clowns-fighting-firemen-in-canada-in-1855

“The Toronto Circus Riot of 1855 “ http://torontodreamsproject.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-circus-riot.html

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blaqsbi · 6 months

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Post: Hockey Hall of Fame - 2018 Induction Celebration - Willie ORee https://www.blaqsbi.com/5uDP

#SportsHistory #BlackHIstory #CanadianHistory #Sports #Hockey

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tmarshconnors · 10 months

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Happy Canada Day 2023!!

Canada Day, formerly known as Dominion Day, is the national day of Canada.

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seesallysewpatterns · 1 year

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Collectible Brass Metal 1953 Alberta Canada Licensed Numbered 43419 Chauffeur Driver License Badge Collectible Driving Brass Badge #mariansmemorabilia #alberta #canada #chauffeur #license #driverlicense #vintage #collectible #etsy #unisexadults #brass #driver #vintage #brasslicense #canadianhistory https://etsy.me/3UQFvoK https://www.instagram.com/p/CmCo6v2v43y/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#mariansmemorabilia #alberta #canada #chauffeur #license #driverlicense #vintage #collectible #etsy #unisexadults #brass #driver #brasslicense #canadianhistory

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onlineantiques · 1 year

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For Canadians in eastern Canada and especially Montreal, on August 1, 1930, the sight of the enormous British Airship R-100 floating slowly past before mooring to the special mast near Montreal, was simply amazing. The airship had made a transatlantic crossing in an astounding time of under 79 hours. With a crew of 32 and carrying 6 passengers, it was the first passenger carrying flight from England to Canada. The R-100 stayed at St Hubert, south of Montreal for 10 days during which time some one million people visited the area to view the giant ship. When the sister ship R-101 crashed in France in October 1930, the R-100 was grounded and then sold for scrap the following year. This photo along with one other of the #r100 can be purchased on eBay item number 234770452868 #airships #r100airship #historical #aviation #aviationhistory #aviationpioneer #montreal #canada #montrealhistory #canadianhistory #1930 #transatlanticcrossing #historicalflights #hubert #sthubert #photographs #historicalphotos #iconicphotos #photosforsale https://www.instagram.com/p/CksE3FMoYhL/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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patriciajaggernauth · 2 years

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“If you’re going to LIVE, leave a LEGACY. Make a mark on the WORLD that can’t be erased.“✨💫 – Maya Angelou ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The inaugural “The Legacy Awards” @legacyawardsca aired LIVE on @cbc and @cbcgem this past Sunday, September 25th and was the FIRST major Canadian awards show to celebrate, highlight and showcase Black Canadian talent!🇨🇦 THE FIRST!! What power, grace, beauty, glamour, energy, support and LOVE was in that room on that night. To be part of it all is/was a nod to my and all of our Canadian legacies!🙏🏽🖤 To be a part of HISTORY itself. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ A huge shoutout to The Black Academy for a wonderful and flawless night and to the brothers @shamieranderson and @tdotsteph . How PROUD I am of you both! @blackisnowcanada 🖤✨ #BLACKISBLACK ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ SWIPE ⬅️ to see all of the black carpet photos and the behind the scenes action! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ •✨GLAM outfit by: @shopthepinkdoor_to 💕 •✨Purse: @prada •✨Shoes: @louboutinworld  ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ✨✨ #LIVEwithPJ #redcarpet #blackcarpet #thelegacyawardscbc #legacy #blackhistory #blackexcellence #canadianhistory #empower #inspire #together #ootn #glam #glamour #lifestyle #fashion #style #nubianqueen #blackgirlmagic #blackbeauty #blackisbeautiful #influence #Toronto #Canadian #Canada #pjrealtalk #realtalk #patriciajaggernauth #patricia_j (at History Toronto) https://www.instagram.com/p/CjBAmf4Og0i/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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delicatelysublimeforester · 2 years

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Many Stories

YouTube Video Historic Places Days Historic Places Days Every Place A Story Friday July 22 7:00 pm Remai Modern Saskatoon Every historic site has not just one, but many, stories. Telling the untold and forgotten stories of the namesake of Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area historic site. Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area has many stories to share! You might know that that this…

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hchewittauthor · 2 years

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Stopped by one of my favourite places today, Cannington Manor ❤️ For those of you who may not know but this is the place that is the inspiration for my Abbington Pickets novel series. My heart is definitely here. Where my grandma worked or 18!years and I spent a lot of my child hood here learning the history. Where my great grandparents got married, my parents got married, I got married, our daughter got married and I was baptized here, the list goes on and on. If you haven’t been there, you should go! They have a fair day on the long weekend of August and church service is every last Sunday of the month during the summer. They also do other fun things like candle nights and this year I heard they were doing something new. Schools always go there for tours at the end of the school year. A great place to learn our Saskatchewan history. #lovethisplace #canningtonmanor #abbingtonpicketsseries #jacobofabbingtonpickets #jacobsplace #lettersfromjacob #jacobssecret #saskatchewanhistory #canadianhistory #historicalpark #childhoodmemories #bookseries (at Cannington Manor Provincial Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/CerjaWrL4qi/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#lovethisplace #canningtonmanor #abbingtonpicketsseries #jacobofabbingtonpickets #jacobsplace #lettersfromjacob #jacobssecret #saskatchewanhistory #canadianhistory #historicalpark #childhoodmemories #bookseries

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haleykatherinejoy-blog · 2 years

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Canada’s Injustices on Aboriginal Children

Chapter 13: Nurturing the Seeds of Indigenous Early Learning and Childcare in Canada by Jessical Ball was a dense and intense piece to read. There was a lot of content that I needed to highlight for further research such as Jordan’s Principle, the Romanow Report, and Aboriginal Head Start. Then there was a great deal of information from Statistics Canada regarding the disadvantages that aboriginal children face. It was enlightening to find out about all of the different programs that do exist in an effort to support aboriginal children and families. And at the same time, acknowledge that there is still plenty of work to do to make sure these programs and organizations are upholding their commitments. After reading this chapter and feeling like my awareness had expanded towards issues I previously wasn’t thinking about, I was looking forward to class and finding out what kind of discussions would take place and hearing the different perspectives and thoughts my classmates would have. One of my classmates said they didn’t find the chapter very interesting and that comment made me feel shocked. How could they not find it interesting? I mean, I guess I wouldn’t describe the chapter as interesting either, more so as enlightening and… depressing. I say depressing because I find it upsetting to discover the disheartening statistics on the number of aboriginal children living in poverty and foster care and the programs that exist, yet they are still underfunded and inaccessible. And when we compare the inequality of services that non-aboriginal children receive, again, heartbreaking.

All of this thought on child advocacy for aboriginal children led me to reflect on the Every Child Matters movement in Canada. The movement is about acknowledging the brutal history of the residential schools, the children's lives that were lost and stolen, and coming together to support and listen to the survivors and their families towards reconciliation. I think this is a positive thing because there are so many voices that deserve to be heard and it's time for us as a society to shut up and truly listen. But I think there is more than listening that needs to be done and I believe many Canadians agree with this but don’t know what they can do (I know I certainly feel this way too).

I realize that this movement is more than just the acknowledgment of the past injustices. I think it’s also about coming together to rebuild a system that supports indigenous children and their families and prevents further tragedies and injustices against the aboriginal people of Canada. To me, this means that actions need to be taken by citizens and especially professionals in our society. So what does that mean for me as someone who is studying to work in the field of Education?

I chose the field of Early Childhood Elementary Education because of my passion for child development and the desire to support and advocate for young children. Based on my own childhood experiences having grown up in an unstable environment and surrounded by poverty, I felt that the effects it had on me were challenges I had to overcome as a young adult and had there been better support and resources, I may have had better opportunities. I want to be someone who is a part of the kind of resources and support children need. Now being a student and learning about the challenges Aboriginal children and their families face, as someone who comes from a white family, I can only imagine how many difficulties they are faced to overcome.

In the chapter, there was a sentence that wrote “children are not only our future: they are here now”. This thought hit me and made me pause for some time to reflect. If the poverty rate for status First Nations children is 51 - 61 % as stated by Statistics Canada, to me that says that children need help now. 34 % of Indigenous children 0-4 years of age are living with single parents; families need help now. 50% of foster children are indigenous children aged 0-4 years old; they need help now. It is very clear that Indigenous children and families need more from our society and government.

As an individual who went into education to advocate and support children, as I am becoming more aware of the challenges and issues Aboriginal Canadians face, I think it is important for me to continue to educate myself on Indigenous politics in Canada and familiarize myself with the Truth and Reconciliation Act of Canada to find out what actions I can take to get involved as an Early Childhood Educator and Canadian citizen. It seems to me that our society needs more actions to be taken and less talk. And as of now, I don’t have the answers as to what should be done, but I am definitely committed to ongoing learning and discovery. Hopefully, as I continue this journey I will find myself in a place of more action and less talk.

#indigenous #aboriginal #truthandreconciliation #everychildmatters #childadvocacy #childpoverty #canadianhistory #earlychildhoodeducation

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elzorab · 2 years

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Who remembers Queen Street Video? This was when browsing happened in real life as you went through their collection which was quite varied then you had to speak with the person who was working there and who would recommended you some more similar stuff then you had to be responsible and bring back the items you borrowed but they had so many clients. The hanging out in there, part, was great, now if you " hang out" and browse the Netflix or other menu too much it definitely not a pleasant experience. A similar feelig with browsing through records as vinyl came back so who knows, maybe a new format of Disc or othherwise for movies will come back, maybe smellovision on scratch cards inside, maybe other surprises. Certainly the collector items are still selling but it's the obscure stuff which is the most valuable. Free Market always wins even though our market is the far from free. #queensstreetvideo #dvds #torontohistory #tdot #thesix #queenstreet #rentals #ontario #canadianhistory #canada #ont #movies #movierental #vhs #dvd #blueray https://www.instagram.com/p/CdKv7jPO-6-/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#queensstreetvideo #dvds #torontohistory #tdot #thesix #queenstreet #rentals #ontario #canadianhistory #canada #ont #movies #movierental #vhs #dvd #blueray

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shotbyehjay · 2 years

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Barkerville on the Caribou highway is a great place to re-live the days of the Canadian Gold Rush . . . . . #jannphotography #travelphotos #instatravel #potd #travelphotography #wanderlust #torontophotographer #capturetheworld #girlaroundtheworld #womenwhowander #instajourney #girlvsworld #instadaily #thegreatoutdoors #wanderingsoul #gypsylife #EarthEscope #britishcolumbia #barkerville #canadianhistory #caribouregion (at Barkerville Historic Town & Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzBW2cphZp8/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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steelcitygirlreviews · 2 years

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FRINGE REVIEWS 2022 - MINE! True Stories and Legends of the Porcupine Gold Rush

Writer/Performer: Will Gillespie

Producer/Stage Manager: Susan Robinson

Show dates, times and tickets available here: https://boxoffice.hftco.ca/event/866:574/

Content Warning: None

Will Gillespie has a particular knack for telling imaginative Canadian stories. His production company has brought Elvis Presley to a town in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Neil Diamond to a dive bar in downtown Hamilton, Ontario. In his newest production, we are guided on a musical journey through several harrowing, true-life stories of adventure and perseverance, from a unique (and often-overlooked) chapter of Canadian History.

This is a solo show with Gillespie (whose voice is perfect for folk songs) aided in no small part by producer/stage manager Susan Robinson who delivers her cues with precision. Another carefully researched show this year regarding Canadian history during our own goldrush era, there are stories accompanied by songs about dog sleds, air balloon near-disasters, an Indigenous princess, making moonshine in the bush, horrific fire storms and more.

At times, you really feel the enormous undertaking by Gillespie here. With the exception of the historical art and images projected behind him, he is doing everything on that large Westdale stage. Singing, storytelling, changing instruments and reaching for water whenever possible, Gillespie is a whirlwind of energy that doesn’t let up. He commands the stage and overall, carries through with confidence. Perhaps pre-recording some of the narrative or projecting pre-filmed elements would have helped Gillespie take a moment to collect himself before the next song and allowed the audience to watch the moments on the screen while learning more about the story about to be told.

As a new musical offering, it is a solid one. There’s a great deal of interesting stories, several of which audiences will be surprised to learn about. This type of history lesson is refreshingly engaging and as the show continues on to other cities after this, I am hopeful that these legends and stories inspire audiences to learn more. Worth seeing, especially if you are a fan of untold stories in our history.

#hamiltonfringefestival #TheWestdale folklore CanadianHistory goldrushera folkmusic

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