Kuhn's Steel Arena--1956

This is the old Armory in Hartford, Conn. probably one of the most miserable buildings in the United States at the time. Armory's were built for one purpose, and it was not for the circus or any other entertainment. It didn't matter if it was Wilkes Barre Penn, or Montreal, Canada they were all totally inadequate and tough dates to work particularly in the wintertime. I made the Hartford date a couple of times in the late 70's with the Hamid Morton Circus which opened their tour in Hartford in Feb. The elephants were stabled down stairs in a small, small garage under the building, and had to walk outside and around to a ramp that went from the ground around the building and up to the performance floor. I had what was originally the old Hamid herd of elephants which were purchased by Hawthorn, Bombay, Delhi, Tess, Joyce, and Billie. They had played this building so many times, that they knew where the back door was upstairs, and I used to turn them loose, head them out, and to stay out of the cold ride the elevator up and meet them as they came around the corner of the ramp to the back door, which I would run up and they would enter without having to stop and stand in the cold.