Entertaining Citrus County in the 20th Century
By: Ken Marotte, Citrus County Historical Society
Even though they didn’t have the internet or television, there was no shortage of entertainment in Citrus County during its first hundred years.
Religious Revivals
Citrus County was a deeply religious area during the pioneer years. The leading sects in our area were fundamentalist Baptists, Methodists and Presbyterians. They were regular churchgoers and looked forward to services as a religious and social event. While the regular church events were important, periodically the church would bring a dynamic “fire and brimstone” preacher from the outside to energize their flocks. For example, the 1908 Chronicle noted that Inverness Baptist church was conducting a ten-day revival meeting and they engaged Rev Odum from St. Petersburg as the main speaker. From Crystal River to Inverness, including hamlets such as Hernando, Lecanto and Red Level, revival meetings were attended by enthusiastic crowds. The events were sometimes held over a weekend but would more typically consume seven to twelve days. Some preachers had fame as “revival conductors” and traveled across Florida and the Southern states.
It was common for churches to cooperate and jointly sponsor revival events. Pastors would sometimes forego their Sunday evening services so their parishioners could attend a revival in a neighboring town. The meetings would usually be held under immense tents to accommodate the large crowds that attended. In some cases, the Board of County Commissioners would allow revival meetings to be held in the courthouse during non-business hours. Rev. Mary Hubbert Ellis, known as the “vice crusader”, traveled from Philadelphia to save souls at the courthouse. She was billed as “a crusader against indecency in literature and pictures” and reportedly was arrested multiple times protesting against those establishments that she deemed to be corrupt. There were no reports whether or not any of the Commissioners attended.
The Southern Baptist churches agreed to hold almost 30,000 simultaneous revival meetings across the region on the same date. The three Citrus County Baptist churches participated in the event. According to press reports, this was well attended in the area and reception by the attendees was positive. While attendance at revival events has waned over the years due to factors such as a decline in active church membership and a change in worship practices, some churches still offer revivals to heighten the devotion of their members.
Traveling Circus
At the other end of the spectrum, traveling circus troops would regularly visit towns on rail lines. After obtaining the appropriate entertainment license, a train carrying animals, performers and tents would stop in Inverness and Crystal River. The circus was well-attended during the early years of Citrus County since there was no internet, television or other distractions. Teachers reported a wave of absences whenever the circus came to town – in some cases, half of the school developed a mysterious malady on circus days.
The advent of the Great Depression led to a plethora of circus and other entertainment shows coming to Inverness. In 1933, four troupes visited town offering a variety of acts. The Mighty Hagg Circus was the oldest and most recognizable. When they arrived in town, there was always a big production of setting up the tents and unloading animals from the railroad cars. A daily parade through the streets of town was designed to raise the curiosity and enthusiasm of their potential patrons. Their tent was located near the old ballpark in downtown.
The Kay Bros circus arrived in November. In addition to the usual clowns and circus acts, “a real tribe of Indians” was featured. The highlight of the show was Maxine The Singing Elephant. This was a smaller circus and relied upon a staple of plate spinners, tightrope walkers and gymnasts to amaze the audience.
The Heffner-Vinson players arrived a few weeks later. Their specialty was comedy, plays, but most of all – many dancing girls in the chorus. The title of their main play was ironically “Don’t Lie to Your Wife”. Presumably male attendees had brought their wives along instead of telling them that they were going fishing.
The largest troupe arrived in town two weeks later. The Billroy Comedians had traveled throughout the country and were completing their swing through Florida. They were billed as “The Greatest Show on Earth For the Money”. This 65-person group pitched their large waterproof tent next to the telephone company on Apopka Ave. Apparently other shows advertised a large number of performers but disappointed patrons discovered that some of the promised acts were on film. Billroy capitalized on this situation by touting their performers were “flesh and blood – not canned”.
Similar to other forms of entertainment during this period, attendance at the circus eventually dwindled. Many of the traveling shows during the Depression could not remain profitable and dissolved overnight. The circus in Citrus County today is mostly a fund raiser sponsored by a non-profit organization. They’re viewed by the youths of today as a curious remnant of a bygone era.
Chautauqua
Situated somewhere between the religious experience of the revival and the commercialized circus was the Chautauqua. Named for the original site of the movement’s organization in Western New York State, it can best be described an entertaining adult education. It featured speakers, musicians, preachers and showmen with the goal of advancing culture in rural America. The movement was popular around the turn of the twentieth century but still exists today. The “mother” site in Chautauqua was soon joined by other sites across America. DeFuniak Springs was the center of the Chautauqua organization in Florida.
As the influence of the stationary Chautauqua sites waned in the 1920’s, “Circuit Chautauqua” tent shows were organized in the same manner as circuses. Based in Washington DC, the Radcliffe Chautauqua claimed to entertain over four million people across 45 states in 1921. The headliners for the gatherings were usually learned professors or teachers who would present expositions on various moral topics. There was a loose reference to church attendance but the Radcliffe group chose to focus on the spirituality and morality of American life.
The Radcliffe Chautauqua had two troupes crisscrossing through Florida in 1928. In February, the Citrus Chronicle headline trumpeted that a free Chautauqua would be arriving on the ACL railroad later that month. Funds to cover expenses had been secured from the City of Inverness and local businesses who thought this would be a good experience for their customers. Every patron needed to have a ticket, however, and those free tickets could only be obtained by visiting certain local merchants.
A giant tent was erected in a lot across the street from the Orange Hotel. A non-denominational union service opened the day’s festivities. The organizers had secured the early release of schools and a parade of schoolchildren was held on the opening day. They marched to the tent and were all located together in a special section of the tent. The schedule featured a mix of cultural lectures and magicians, dramatic plays, comedies and musicians. Patterson’s Scotch Highlanders, complete in kilts, opened the show with a concert. They entertained the audience with Scottish songs, dances, and jokes.
The initial program was such a success that local backers signed a contract for a repeat performance in 1929. The Chronicle reported: “It was a free Chautauqua. Free to everyone. It was a gift of the good people of Inverness and vicinity to the public. Not a single person who gave of his time and money to ensure the success of this entertainment regrets having done his bit”
Billiards Exhibitions
In the early part of the twentieth century, billiards was viewed as sport garnering national interest. The results of matches were published on the sports pages of newspapers and successful players could earn a living by honing their skills. Restaurant owner Loues Jones decided to cash in on the pastime and opened a billiard hall on Main Street in Inverness. Some of the local shooters became skilled at the variations of the game and wondered how they would fare against professionals.
Jones arranged for the locals to meet and play against one of the game’s best. Johnnie Layton was 12-time world champion in three-cushion billiards. Jones contracted with Leyton to visit his billiard hall and conduct an exhibition of trick shots and offer instruction for the crowd. Layton stayed at the Dawson’s Camp in Hernando and proved to be a successful fisherman as well. Advertisem*nts filled the Citrus County Chronicle congratulating Jones for his coup in convincing Layton to visit.
Layton vanquished both locals and “sharps” who traveled to the sold-out event. After each match, Layton would patiently explain his method of using the diamonds on the walls as a way to improve the game of both professionals and amateurs. Layton enjoyed himself so much that he decided to take a two-week vacation in Hernando the following year so he could concentrate on catching as many fish as he could in Lake Tsala Apopka.
Loues Jones was not content with a single exhibition by Johnnie Layton. He brought four other nationally known players to his Main Street hall. Within the space of two months, Jones brought Marcel Camp, 5-time world snooker champion; Clarence Anderson, fancy shot pocket billiards worlds champion; and young “Babe” Cranfield, the former world’s amateur pocket billiards champion. Ladies needed no encouragement to attend the heart-throb’s performance.
The final professional was someone who anyone with even a passing interest in pocket billiards would recognize. The great Willie Mosconi, the new world pocket billiards champion, appeared in Inverness on January 31, 1940. In keeping with his custom, he dazzled observers with his particularly fast style of play. After the matches were concluded, he took time to sign autographs and offer tips to the assembled crowd.
Loues Jones had brought five of the best players in the world to his Inverness location, which ensured success for years after the stars had departed.
