Vigo County Historical Society

Historical museum shares in ‘happy days’

In 1944, Jane Dabney Shakelford, a Terre Haute educator and writer, authored a children’s book called "My Happy Days." The book is a selection of stories about a little boy named Rex who tells of the most familiar and happy parts of his life at home, school and in the Vigo County community.

One of the happy times Rex and his sister, Mary, had at home was playing circus.

They wore clown costumes and pretended to be Felix Adler and Emmett Kelly. For their circus parade, one rode with doll clowns in a circus wagon, which was hooked onto a little car the other child was moving with his feet. Inside the wagon, the children placed a musical clock to make their parade more festive.

A full page picture of the children using the wagon as part of their circus parade appears with the story.

Made of wood with metal wheels, the wagon was painted white and trimmed in a dark shade of red. Embellished on the sides were a pair of mermaids and tow curving snakes.

Jane Shakelford gave the wagon to her next-door neighbor, Virginia Hage, who passed in on to her son-in-law, Louis John St. Peter. It sat in St. Peter’s garage for years until his son, John, decided to take it to the Southside Auction House to sell.

Fortunately, Kathy and David Brentlinger noticed a newspaper ad stating that items belonging to Jane Shakelford were being auctioned.

They purchased the circus wagon, made a few necessary repairs and gave it to the Historical Society. It is a treat to be able to display the wagon along with the book, "My Happy Days."

It is now a part of the museum’s new exhibit called "The Circus is Coming" and a piece of Terre Haute history that has been saved and will be enjoyed by museum visitors for years to come.