Tuesday, March 24, 2009
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A Blog designed for discussion of topics related to, but not limited to, Circus, Zoos, Animal Training, and Animal Welfare/Husbandry. Sometimes opening up the dialog is the best starting point of all. And if for nothing else when people who agree and don't agree, get together and start discussing it, it will open up a lot of peoples minds. Debate and discussion even amongst themselves opens a window where there wasn't one before.
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4 comments:
This building was built in 1918. It housed Miss Jim, an elephant brought with the pennies of school children (and a few other big contributions). Miss Jim's name came from the Supt. of Schools. Miss Jim was best known for giving rides from the time of her arrival until the early 1940s. It also housed few other elephants, an Indian rhino and hippos.
The show elephants were first kept in the "Camel Barn" in the east end. In 1957 the show elephants also became the exhibit elephants and the new elephant house built on the west end. The original elephant house is still around though not an animal exhibit building, the 1957 model is gone.
Jim,
Any idea why they tore down the 1957 building, and retained the older one.
Wade
The 1957 elephant building plus the Aquatic House and a large refreshment stand were demolished to make room for the River's Edge exhibit which has elephants, black rhinos, hippos, and more. One thing it doesn't have is indoor viewing -- not much to see on a really cold day (but then not many visitors on a really cold day).
Not much lost with the buildings of the late 50s but a lot of ceramic tile. The elephant house did have a great collection at times including Northern white rhinos, Malayan tapir, and pygmy hippos. Due to finances, the buildings of the 1910-20s were very substantial but the buildings of the 50s were basically just good enough. The last one (barely)standing in STL is the Lion (now Sea Lion) Arena. A new Arena is in the planning stage adjacent the the outdoor Seal Basin.
I don't know the dimensions, but the older elephant house at St. Louis before the River's Edge was very spacious for the elephants when compared to many of the same era. Two end stalls plus a huge main stall, not including the rhino, tapir & hippo stalls.
I have great memories getting to run around in the building as a kid, out on stage pretending I was performing a show like my Dad. LOL
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