To read part 1: https://www.pchswi.org/post/the-engford-family-circus-part-1
Family Tree
Robert Engford: June 8, 1883 - February 17, 1967.
Born in Germany, passed away in Plover, Wisconsin.
Amanda Auguste Louise Raduchel Engford: November 4, 1885 - February 15,1945.
Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Married Robert on March 10, 1904. Passed away in Plover, Wisconsin.
Harry William Otto Engford: May 15, 1905 - December 1, 1973.
Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Robert and Amanda. Passed away in Hammond, Indiana.
Lois Estelle Espenscheid Engford: April 17, 1912 - March 5, 1974.
Born in Plover, Wisconsin. Married Harry on February 19, 1936. Passed away in Chicago, Illinois.
Florence Clara Engford: January 1, 1909 - October 27, 2001.
Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Robert and Amanda. Passed away in Baraboo, Wisconsin.
Ruthie Engford Clark: April 15, 1940 - Present.
Born in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, to Harry and Lois. Married Frank on September 17, 1966.
Frank Edward Clark: October 15, 1929 - Present.
Born in Chicago, Illinois. Resides in Florida with Ruthie.
David Harry Engford: April 19, 1943 - Present.
Born in Plover, Wisconsin. Resides in Baraboo, Wisconsin.
Circus Background
From 1920 to about 1942, the Engford Family Circus entertained families across the country. The Engfords were self-sufficient and brought their own supplies and tent materials as they toured. Later, from 1966 to 2000, Ruthie Engford and her husband, Frank Clark, would tour across the country and internationally as an arial-act duo; Francarro and Estreleta. The Engfords worked with a variety of circuses and operated under many names, but were almost always an independent show. Read below to learn about the Engford family's history and circus involvement from 1923-1966.
The Early Circus - 1913 to 1936
Physical feats are what built up the Engford name in the circus industry. Balancing, juggling, contortions, and aerial acts made it into the various family shows. Some acts were solo events, but many required two, three, or four people to perform. This need for cooperation is part of what made the Engfords so successful; they were able to practice every day as a family unit. When Harry was around 8 years old and Florence was around 6, they were added to the family show.
Florence's first act was "Baby Florence" where she danced and sang. This was during the Vaudeville era of performances. Later she would appear as "Clara Florence" in advertising. Harry and Florence also spent considerable time learning gymnastics and contortion techniques from their parents.
Florence loved singing, dancing, and playing instruments. This passion would follow her through her entire life. In these early photos you can see a sheet backdrop that the Engford family brought with them from town to town. All photos are from the PCHS collections.
As the children grew and were more comfortable with physical stunts, they could join their parents in more parts of the show. Robert and Amanda had some stunts that required them both, like the trick pictured below. Later, when touring as an adult, Harry would perform this trick with his wife, Lois.
Other tricks required the whole family, like this trick originally created by Robert. In the photo below you can see a single straight pole attached to Amanda (ground) and Robert (table). Hand-walking down the pole is Harry, going "forwards" when going "sideways" or hand-to-hand would have been easier on the incline. Finally, Florence hangs from two suspended loops of the pole. Her weight, if moving, would twist the pole back and forth. Likewise, the breathing of Robert and Amanda would move the pole up and down. As Harry moved down the pole, his weight would change the pressure on his parents abdomens.
When the family was not practicing their various tricks, they were practicing and performing musical numbers. Robert created an attachment for the Deagan Bells (photographed below). The bells have a small keyboard, about an octave and a half, that was originally used to play the bells. But by attaching a battery and his accordion, Robert could play the bells and achieve a unique sound and playing style. When performing together, the family often used the names Engford's Review or The Musical Engfords.
It was a busy but blissful life. Traveling regularly, Harry and Florence often missed school on days the family was performing out of town. By the time the family moved into their home on Post Road in 1923, Harry was 18 and no longer attending school. Florence finished her last years of high school education in Plover and perfected her trapeze set. Both Florence and Harry studied music under Professor Wzalkevich during this time. Florence played piano, accordion, and drums. Harry played accordion and violin. Both taught local children how to play piano and Harry could be hired to tune home pianos for $2.75 each. Harry occasionally played his accordion on the radio and both teenagers performed musical acts for local events over the heavy winters. Florence helped students at Washington Elementary school learn their Christmas program songs.
Florence, above, shows off her skills with the trapeze and the "Roman Rings". Photos from the PCHS collections.
Harry was the president of the Plover Methodist Church choir in 1933, and during this time he met his future wife, Lois, through church activities. They would be married on February 17, 1936. He later became the Sunday School superintendent and gave "chalk talks" to students by illustrating bible stories on a chalkboard while he was teaching. Lois joined Harry in the family acts and, according to Harry, "proved quite adaptable athletically".
The Circus Evolves: 1937-1947
In 1937 Robert and Harry teamed up for a special hand-balancing act they called Forges Bros, or Forges Brothers Act. "Forges" used some of the letters in the name Engford. The Engford Family Show still toured at this time, and often, but not always, the Forges Bros would appear on the same set lists as the full family troupe. Florence was also involved in the Forges bros until 1939.
Harry was the "advance man" for the family shows, meaning he would travel ahead while the tent was being set up. He would use the day to get a show permit from the next town, book a lot, put up advertising bills, and drive back with just enough time to get ready for his own performance that night.
Pictured above, Robert and Harry in their Forges Bros act. One of their costumes is on display at Heritage Park. All photos from the PCHS collections.
In 1939 Robert, Amanda, and Florence officially retired from circus life and the Engford Family Show was finished, but Harry was just getting started. He continued to tour by himself, still using the name Forges Bros or occasionally calling it "Harry's Show" until he concluded the series in 1941. Harry had learned his father's tricks, and with his wife and daughter, he planned new tricks for the family to perform after WWII concluded. During WWII the family ran a farm, but had to find time to stay physically fit. Harry was always looking ahead to when the war would end and the shows could resume.
Ruthie, Harry's daughter, explained her father's philosophy, stating "Harry believed in the importance of physical conditioning throughout his entire life. As a young man at the time when little was known about a balanced diet or the importance of vitamins or even the advantage of consistent physical conditioning, by adhering to his theories on the above he attained amazing abilities in his field of hand-balancing at a very early age. With the addition of weight-lifting, to build muscle beyond what was needed to do the work, Harry performed at this level past the age of 60! Quite an accomplishment!"
Ruthie added further, "Practice was the order of every day for all the Engfords. In the cold winters of Plover, Wisconsin each morning, first thing, was build a fire in the little stove up in the practice-barn. It took a couple hours to bring the temperature to a point where they could "limber up" and practice the acrobatic act. Then back to the house for music practice. Then Harry and his sister Florence would do art work painting with oils, water colors, or pen and India Ink. Not to forget choir practice (often the Choir met at the Engfords house for practice) for each Sunday morning Service at the Methodist Church."
"So, this was the daily routine all through my father's life and later when he married and had his own family, mom (Lois) and my brother (David), and myself. My father always said, "The most important thing you do in each day is PRACTICE! Then you eat, then you sleep, and any time left, play". A simple discipline really and it works! To this day I hear those words in my ear and it always spurs me on! "
Why let a little snow stop your practice? Harry Engford, above, limbers up in the snowy yard outside his home. Photos from the PCHS collections.
Because of the rationing and travel restrictions during WWII there were no traveling circuses, and the Engfords were stuck in Plover. But farm life proved busy enough to keep the Engford family limber. Harry and Lois rented a farm from Mr. McGowan just outside of Plover. Ruthie remembers that they rented a team of horses from Elmer Dakins, who was the caretaker and bell-ringer of the Plover Methodist Church at the time. She remembers Elmer hitching up a horse and sleigh in winter, driving around Plover and giving children rides around the block.
Two photos showing the location of Harry Engford's farm. The first photo shows a plat map from 1948, with Harry's farm circled in red and Lois' parent's farm circled in blue. The second photo is from Google Earth, circa 2008, showing the land still being used for farming almost 60 years later. Photos from the PCHS collections.
Ruthie remembers the chickens and cows that her father raised on the farm. "Harry read all the available information at the time, on how to get maximum egg production from chickens. He bought baby chicks, raised them and produced fine eggs selling his eggs to several restaurants in Stevens Point. Harry's ability to attain maximum production from his chickens got the attention of other chicken farmers in the area. They wondered how this "amateur" farmer was doing this!"
"I do remember the cows, two of them, a black and white one (Daisy) and a brown and white one (Maisy). And a true story about milking them, my dad didn't know about farming in the beginning of this farm adventure. First time he went out to milk the cows. Well, here he is, a hand-balancer, who walks down a pole gripping with his hands, a weight-lifter hoisting iron over his head; tore phone-books (true, they weren't nearly as thick as they are now) to make his hands stronger, well he couldn't get any milk! (Poor cow, am sure gave him a dirty look!) Anyway, had to call mom. Of course, she had been milking cows all her life, and in no time, the pail was full! Yes, dad did learn to milk the cows, but we always laughed at the lesson. It isn't how strong you are, its knowing the technique!"
"Lois (Espenscheid) Engford, was raised on a farm. Harry was not. Lois taught Harry how to hitch up a team of horses. How to plow a garden. How to rake and bale hay. Raise corn for feed. How to milk cows. This farm had no electricity. I remember the kerosene lamps. Heat was a wood stove. Root cellar to store vegetables. An outhouse. Daily life was hard work. Aside from the daily egg runs uptown, a can of milk was picked up daily from a dairy. So, there were all the chickens to tend; cows to milk; horses to tend; a big garden to tend; (I remember all the canning mom did thru the summer to last thru the winter); barn roof to mend; bread to bake; mom made all our clothes. I didn't have a "store bought" dress until I was 12 years old."
"These years on the farm were hard work, just to survive the winters and keep all the animals fed. All the driveway and paths to the barn and chicken coop were hand shoveled. One must remember that, every day (yes, every day), Harry & Lois PRACTICED the "Engfords" Hand-balancing/Acrobatic Act! A necessary discipline in order to present the same quality of performance when they went back on the road, as they had presented when they went off the road. Perseverance!"
"Also, it was in 1943, during the time we lived on this farm, that David Harry Engford was born. I remember the day he was brought back from the Hospital. He had a cute, little, blue cap on! Yes, I was only 3 years old, so I'm not sure if I remember it, or remember the memory of it, but I remember it! Must add here, Harry DID practice daily, but Lois did have some time off, expecting this baby!"
After the war was over, the Engford tent shows never went out again. But on January 17, 1946, Harry signed a contract with Williams & Lee Attractions and the family went on the road as a separate act. Ruthie and David joined their parents and were home schooled throughout the rest of their education years. They felt that Plover was home and always returned a few times a year, always excited to see their grandparents and aunt Florence. To keep up with schooling they mailed their work back and forth with a teacher in Baltimore. Both Ruthie and David learned how to play musical instruments and learned how to contort their bodies and perform, but only Ruthie went on to perform on stage. David was a constant supporter of his sister and was the main driver when he was old enough to chauffer the family on their long trips across the country. As Ruthie remembers, "He (David) has been my lifelong support and inspiration, as I was learning gymnastic and aerial work. Always remaining in the background, and pushing me out front."
To learn more about the Engford family history in Portage County, please reach out to the Portage County Historical Society with your questions. Additional Engford family history can be found at the Circus World Museum in Baraboo, Wisconsin.
Stay tuned for part 3 to continue the fascinating saga of this landmark family!
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