And why are these elephants there?
From the Inventory database:
"The elephants stand guard over a burial site for circus performers. They were erected to commemorate the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus train wreck, which occurred on June 22, 1918, five miles west of Gary, Indiana. At least 61 died, 179 were injured when two trains collided. At least 56 circus performers from the accident were buried at this site. The granite elephants were added some years later to mark the boundaries of the burial site."
Inscriptions:
(Base front of central elephant:) SHOWMENS LEAGUE/OF AMERICA (Base front of each smaller elephant:) SHOWMENS REST unsigned
Dimensions:
5 elephants. Center elephant: approx. 48 x 64 x 20 in.; Base: approx. 37 x 90 x 42 in.; Four corner elephants each: approx. 32 x 42 x 13 in.; corner bases each: approx. 22 x 64 x 30 in.
From The Showman's League of America website: (
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"There is nothing that symbolizes the devotion the Showmen’s League has to its members and to showpeople in general than Showmen’s Rest. Set in Woodlawn Cemetery, surrounded by five elephants, trunks lowered in mourning, it remains the final resting place for many of our brothers.
The idea of having a place of rest for showpeople had been discussed at various times during the early history of the League. At a special meeting on March 9th of 1917, a motion carried for $1500 for Woodlawn Cemetery to house Showmen’s Rest.
The purchase of the cemetery plot proved to be extremely timely for the League. The following year, 1918, saw one of the greatest tragedies that has ever befallen the outdoor amusement industry.
On June 22, 1918, the time at about 4:00 am dawn was not yet painting the eastern sky. The Hagenback-Wallace Circus was scheduled to present its fabulous spectacle in the Show Grounds at 150th and Calumet Avenue in Hammond, Ind. This show was carried on three special trains, the show had over 22 tents and 1,000 + employees on its weekly payroll.
Earlier at about 4:00 am while the train was heading toward Hammond, Indiana, carrying 400 performers and roustabouts, the train had to make a stop near Ivanhoe in order to cool an overheated wheel bearing box. The Brakeman alerted the conductor with a signal flare thus signaling the engineer to bring the train to an immediate stop. The front segment of the 26-car train now rested on the Gary & Western Railroad tracks, heading west into Hammond. The rear of the train sat on the Michigan City Railroad tracks on which section 2 had traveled from Michigan City, Ind. during the night. The middle cars rested on the crossover spur.
Red lights were turned on to warn any other approaching trains that a train had stopped on the tracks. An empty troop train was approaching at full speed from behind, piloted by engineer Alonzo Sargent, who had previously been fired for sleeping on the job. Ignoring the red lights, at Signal No. 2581 and the efforts of a frantic flagman to signal the oncoming train, it plowed into the back of the circus train, destroying three sleeping cars before finally coming to a halt. A fire then broke out. Survivors of the crash, trapped under the wreckage, were unable to free themselves and escape the flames. An estimated 86 people died in the accident. No animals were killed. Most of the dead were roustabouts who had been hired hours or days earlier for the Hagenback-Wallace performance in Michigan City.
Hagenback-Wallace Circus only missed a single performance, the one in Hammond. By the next day they had borrowed enough acts from other circuses to be able to put on the scheduled show in Beloit, Wisconsin.
As the news of the accident spread, The Showmen's League of America acted, the League's officers at once moved to provide a last resting place for the crash victims. Five days after the crash, the survivors gathered at Woodlawn Cemetery for the burial of 56 of their fellows. The Showmen’s League of America still gathers at Woodlawn Cemetery on Memorial Day, when we remember our loved ones and all of our brothers that are buried in our small plot, our symbol of devotion to our industry.
From Graveyards.com (
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"Years later, five elephant markers were placed at the corners and rear center of the Showmen's Rest plot. The elephants each have a foot raised with a ball underneath, and the trunks lowered. Raised trunks are a symbol of joy and excitement; lowered trunks symbolize mourning. The base of the large central elephant is inscribed with "Showmen's League of America". On the others are the words "Showmen's Rest".
According to local legend, the elephants are there to commemorate the elephants killed in the wreck and buried in this section. In some versions, the elephants are said to have aided in rescuing the trapped performers by pulling away burning wreckage, at the cost of their own lives. It's said that on some nights, the haunting cry of elephants can still be heard in the distance. In reality, however, there were no elephants on the circus train, and no animals were killed in the crash.
Most of the left half of the Showmen's plot contains victims of the 1918 wreck. The other half is used for burials of other circus performers, up to the present day."
This is certainly an interesting site, visible as you drive along the adjacent Cermak Road. You can go into the cemetery during normal business hours.