Heritage Days 2006

More Pictures.....

Heritage Days 2006-Circus Hall of Fame

The Circus Hall of Fame is well represented with their caravan of circus wagons. The children will enjoy the three elephants from the Hall of Fame. The elephants will have their baths tomorrow thanks to the fire department.

Heritage Days 2006

Take a stroll through the Pioneer Village and you will see these sites.

Railway Hospital in Peru

Sept. 4th, 1885--The new railway hospital, 40 rods north of the railroad shops is a comparatively new residence, modern in style. It was built by the late Joseph Karthol, who traded it to Samuel W. Ream, of whom the railroad company bought it. The grounds comprise two acres. The house, originally square, has been considerably enlarged. The second floor is to be used as a living room for the Sisters of Charity. The dining room has table accommodations for twenty-four persons. Both kitchen and dining room are supplied with hot and cold water.
The new hospital was opened Tuesday. Dr. E. B. North, of a Missouri Pacific hospital is the surgeon in charge. F.S. Arnold, is superintendent. The hospital is one of which all may be proud.

Maria Rasputin in Peru

Maria Rasputin's family home was in Pokrovskoe, Siberia on the Tura. From her room in the Bearss Hotel she told reporters that it would be impossible to return to Russia-it would mean certain death. She was resigned to the fact that the United States would be her new home.
A movie was written about her father's life-"Rasputin and the Empress". According to Maria she had no desire to see the movie starring Lionel Barrymore. She did not feel it was a true description of her father.
In St. Petersburg, her father gained fame as a healer. The Czar NicholasII's son was ill and the medical men had all but given up on the boy. Rasputin went to the palace-through much prayer- the boy was able to recover from his illness. Rasputin and daughter Maria was invited to live in the palace. Rasputin's wife and two sons remained on the family farm. Gregori Rasputin met his death on December 16, 1916, by being drugged, poisoned, beaten and shot three times. He survived all this but actually died when they wrapped him in a carpet and threw him into the Moika Canal on the Neva River.

Maria Rasputin in Peru

Maria Rasputin, famous daughter of Grigori Rasputin, came to Peru in 1935 to be featured as an animal trainer with Hagenbeck-Wallace, Forepaugh-Sells Bros. circus. She traveled throughout Europe for five years with circuses before coming to the United States. Maria is described as being of medium build, very charming in appearance, a striking brunette, with fiery eyes when talking about her father, the famous "mad monk". Maria fluently spoke Russian, German and French-her English was quite broken at times.
Maria and husband were in Bolshevik prison and were to be shot in the early morning. By bribing the guard with money and jewelry they were able to gain their freedom. Maria had two daughters. Her husband died in 1926. Shortly thereafter, she joined the circus as a dancing girl and a wild animal trainer. Maria wrote a book trying to clear the name of her father. She described her father as a religious, God-fearing man of intelligence. He was hated by the militarists because he opposed revolution.
more tomorrow...........