Cathie Smith and Jan Costello - Family Memories

Jan Costello and Cathie Smith discuss their family’s deep connection to the circus history of Petersburg, Illinois, a small Midwestern town that became a major winter home for circus performers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Through stories passed down from their grandparents, Dan and Kitty Kelly, the interview explores the culture of traveling circuses, the famous Petersburg “ring barn,” and the lives of performers connected to nationally known shows such as Sells-Floto and Buffalo Bill’s Wild West. The interview also highlights the importance of family photographs, scrapbooks, and oral tradition in preserving overlooked local history and the legacy of circus life in central Illinois.