Robert L. Parkinson Library and Research Center Finding Aids

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Call Number
CWM Mss 78
CWM Ph 42

Title
Yadon, Gordon (1923-2013)  Papers, 1837-1987 (4.6 cf.  6 boxes)

Biography
Gordon Yadon (1923-2013) was the Post Master for Delavan for many years, a free-lance writer for the Delavan Enterprise from 1950 to 2011, a historian of the City of Delavan, and a co-founder and operator of the
Delavan Arboretum.  Yadon was also a veteran of the United States Navy serving in WWII. A longtime fan of circuses, Yadon focused on collecting circus history of his native Delavan, Wisconsin. For many years Yadon also hosted the “Circus Mixer,” an annual party held in Delavan for performers, collectors, historians and any other individuals interested in the circus and circus history. 

Scope and Content
The collection is arranged alphabetically and consists of research materials, photographs, programs, and other ephemera relating to the American Circus from 1837 to 1989. The vast majority of the files relate to Yadon’s long time study of the circus of the Delevan, Wisconsin area and constitutes perhaps the single greatest resource for material for the circus history that region. Of particular note are materials relating to the Holland and Dockrill families. 

Container List 
CWM Mss 78
Box        Folder
Box 1     Folder 1               Allen Bros. Circus
Box 1     Folder 2-3            Allen “Buck” Henry and Allott, Henry E.
Box 1     Folder 4               American Crown Circus   
Box 1     Folder5                Auctions, Hobbies
Box 1     Folder 6               Barnum, P. T.
Box 1     Folder 7               Baumann, Edward
Box 1     Folder 8               Booklet, Band masters with Circus seasons 1841-1958       
Box 1     Folder 9-10          Buckley Family
Box 1     Folder 11             Carson & Barnes Circus
Box 1     Folder  12            Castello, Daniel
Box 1     Folder 13             Chiarni Circus
Box 1     Folder 14             Circus Burials
Box 1     Folder 15             Circus  Contracts, Delavan
Box 1     Folder 16             CHS Convention 1964, Delavan
Box 1     Folder 17             Circus Dates, Delavan      
Box 1     Folder 18             Circus Grift
Box 1     Folder 19             Circus Routes
Box 1     Folder 20             Circus wagon, Delavan
Box 1     Folder 21             Circus World Museum
Box 1     Folder 22             Circus World Museum Circus Train, Old Milwaukee Days
Box 1     Folder 23-26        Clowns
Box 1     Folder 27             Collins, G. W.
Box 2     Folder 1-2            Coup, William C.
Box 2     Folder 3-4            Delavan Circus Articles    
Box 2     Folder 5               Delavan 1948, Circus Centennial
Box 2     Folder 6               Delavan, Sponsored Circus
Box 2     Folder 7               Delavan – Wis. Historical Marker
Box 2     Folder 8               Dingess Manuscript
Box 2     Folder 9               Dockrill, Elise
Box 2     Folder 10             Edwards, Robert               
Box 2     Folder 11             Elephants
Box 2     Folder 12             Evans, Merle, Bands
Box 2     Folder 13             F. A. S. T. Corp, Fiberglass Animals
Box 2     Folder 14             Fernandez, E K & Rose
Box 2     Folder 15             Fox, Chappie
Box 2     Folder 16             Franzen Bros.
Box 2     Folder 17             Hall, Zella (Wintermute)
Box 2     Folder 18             Hendricks, Bros.
Box 2     Folder 19             Hertzberg Circus Collection
Box 2     Folder 20             Holland, Route Book 1908
Box 2     Folder 21             Holland, Bowman, McLaughlin United Circus 
Box 2     Folder 22             Holland, George & Rose Dockrill
Box 2     Folder 23-24        Holland Family
Box 2     Folder 25             Holland, Gormley Circus, 1888-1889
Box 2     Folder 26             Holland, E. G. Railroad Circus  1892-1894
Box 3     Folder 1               Holland, McMahon’s World Circus 1885
Box 3     Folder 2               Holland, Mosher Circus 1857
Box 3     Folder 3               Hollister, Eugene
Box 3     Folder 4               Hoxie Circus, Press Book
Box 3     Folder 5               Indiana, Peru
Box 3     Folder 6               Jones Family
Box 3     Folder 7               Kelly Miller Circus
Box 3     Folder 8               King Bros Circus
Box 3     Folder 9-10          Mabie Bros. Circus
Box 3     Folder 11             Madden, George & Mary Anne (Holland) 1914
Box 3     Folder 12             McMahon, Charles
Box 3     Folder 13             McMahon, Joseph
Box 3     Folder 14             Menzie, Silas
Box 3     Folder 15             Mercedes, Col. Joseph
Box 3     Folder 16             Middleton, George
Box 4     Folder 1-2            Misc. Circus
Box 4     Folder 3               Misc. Delavan Articles
Box 4     Folder 4               Morrison, George
Box 4     Folder 5               Nineteenth Century Clown Songsters (Hertzberg Collection)
Box 4     Folder 6               Phillips, J. O.
Box 4     Folder 7               Quigley, Jennie
Box 4     Folder 8               Railroad Car, Delavan, “Walther’s”
Box 4     Folder 9               Ringling Bros. Circus
Box 4     Folder 10             Robbins, Burr
Box 4     Folder 11             Ronk, Harold, Ringmaster
Box 4     Folder 12             Royal English Circus And German Water Carnival
Box 4     Folder 13             Sloman, George
Box 4     Folder 14             Smith, Washington
Box 4     Folder 15             Smith, William
Box 4     Folder 16             Somers, New York
Box 4     Folder 17             Stang Bros. Circus
Box 4     Folder 18             Stickney
Box 4     Folder 19             Sturtevant, James Brown (Van Amburgh Circus)
Box 4     Folder 20             Tilden, Luke
Box 4     Folder 21             Turner Bros.
Box 4     Folder 22             Webster, Burt
Box 4     Folder 23             Willis, Ben
Box 4     Folder 24             Zerbini Circus 

Container List 
CWM PH 42
Box        Folder
Box 1     Folder 1               Allott, Bunk
Box 1     Folder 2               Banner, Ben
Box 1     Folder 3               Barnum & Bailey
Box 1     Folder 4               Buckley , Matt
Box 1     Folder 5               Buggs, Gary (circus fan, model builder)
Box 1     Folder 6               Castello, Dan
Box 1     Folder 7               Chiarni, cabinet cards
Box 1     Folder 8               Collins, G. W., 1837-1906
Box 1     Folder 9               Coup, William
Box 1     Folder 10             Dockrill, MME. Elise,   Richard
Box 1     Folder 11             Eagan, John
Box 1     Folder 12             Evans, Merle
Box 1     Folder 13-14        Holland and Dockrill families
Box 1     Folder 15             Jackson, Floyd
Box 1     Folder 16             Jones, Jane & Theodore
Box 1     Folder 17             Kennebel, Eugene
Box 1     Folder 18             Lampkin, Harry
Box 1     Folder 19             Lawrence, Mary Lou
Box 1     Folder 20             Mabie, Laura & Edward J.
Box 1     Folder 21             McMahon Family
Box 1     Folder 22             Middleton, Geroge
Box 1     Folder 23             Menzie Silas
Box 1     Folder 24             Morrison, George
Box 1     Folder 25             Reiche, Charles & Henry
Box 1     Folder 26             Ringling
Box 1     Folder 27             Smith, Washington & William
Box 1     Folder 28             Stowell, Oliver
Box 1     Folder 29             Stuntevant, Jim
Box 1     Folder 30             Tasso, Dieter
Box 1     Folder 31             Tilden, Luke
Box 1     Folder 32             Thorne, Nick
Box 1     Folder 33             Webster, Bert
Box 1     Folder 34             Winn, Charles & Fred
Box 1     Folder 35             Winston, Mattie
Box 2     Folder 1               Arthur Bros. Circus 1944
Box 2     Folder 2               Balloon Ascension 1890 , Delavan
Box 2     Folder 3               Camels
Box 2     Folder 4               Carson & Barnes Circus
Box 2     Folder 5               Circus Centennial Parade, Delavan, 1948-1989
Box 2     Folder 6               Circus Parade, Delavan, 1912
Box 2     Folder7                Circus Wagon, Cole Bros. 1882
Box 2     Folder 8               Circus World Museum, Baraboo
Box 2     Folder 9               Delavan Circus Colony Sign
Box 2     Folder 10             Delavan Park (Elephant, Clown, Giraffe)
Box 2     Folder 11             Delavan Spring Grove Mausoleum
Box 2     Folder 12             Elephants, Delavan and Kenosha, Wisconsin
Box 2     Folder 13             Franzen Bros. Circus
Box 2     Folder 14             Bros. Grim Sideshow
Box 2     Folder 15             Hawthorn Company, Illinois
Box 2     Folder 16             Kelly Miller Circus
Box 2     Folder 17             Jumbo (Elephant)
Box 2     Folder 18             Unidentified Photos
Box 2     Folder 19             Walker Bros. Circus, Delevan, 2000
Box 2     Folder 20             Yankee Robinson Circus