Elephant on the Loose! (Wabash, IN)
Posted by: 
DnRseekers
N 40° 47.796 W 085° 49.333
16T E 599358 N 4516845
Back in 1942, Modoc the Circus Elephant escaped, wreaking havoc throughout the town and countryside.
Waymark Code: WMCM12
Location: Indiana, United States
Date Posted: 09/19/2011
Views: 10
This story was originaly reported in the Wabash Plain Dealer (before the days of the internet) and then picked up by various news services all over the country. The story is now part of local lore and well documented in the local history museum. When Modoc broke loose, she headed for a drug store after catching the scent of peanuts. Today there is a coffee shop at the same location with an excellent mural on the side of the building depicting the story. The coffee shop website describes the event by saying:
Modoc charged to downtown Wabash where her long snout picked up the scent of peanuts roasting in Bradley Brothers drugstore (same spot as Modoc’s Market today.) She chased Chauncey Kessler, who wore a long muskrat coat, through the 42-inch door on Miami Street and using her long trunk rolled Mrs. Kessler onto the floor, all the while flabbergasting pharmacy clerk Helen Myers into shear fright behind the soda fountain. Modoc knocked over the peanut roaster and scarf upped her fill of the little shelled delicacies, and then bidding ado, she smashed through the back door, frame and all, of the New Bradley Building onto Market Street.
For more of the story, check out www.modocsmarket.com for their detailed account of the event.
In addition to the mural, a sign stands outside the coffee shop and several artistic elephant models dot the street. The museum records indicate that for a long time, people would use the phrase "Going on a Modoc" to describe going a little crazy.
Type of publication: Newspaper
When was the article reported?: 11/09/2005
Publication: Wabash Plain Dealer
Article Url: [Web Link]
Is Registration Required?: no
How widespread was the article reported?: national
News Category: Entertainment
|
Visit Instructions:
Give the date of your visit at the news location along with a description of what you learned or experienced.