The hanging of Mary the elephant

Tennessee State Library

Mary the circus elephant hanging in September 1916 from a railroad derrick in Erwin, Tenn.

Bristol Herald-Courier

Bristol newspaper headline after Mary's execution in 1916.

State of TN

Red Eldridge's 1916 death certificate, noting he'd been "killed by elephant."

Illinois State University

1913 Sparks circus illustration showing Mary and others playing baseball.

Ripley's

Ripley's Believe It or Not featured Mary's hanging in the 1930s.

Illinois State University

September 1916 itinerary for the Sparks circus, including Kingsport where Mary killed Red Eldridge and Erwin, where Mary was hanged in the rail yard.

Sparks World Famous Shows

The Sparks Circus proudly boasted of Mary's role in the company.

WBIR

Alma Brown in 2005 recalling when Mary killed Red Eldridge.

WBIR

Witness Lawson Reams in 2005 recalling the hanging of Mary.

WBIR

Jack Yarber sits in the Clinchfield Railroad Museum. They have an elephant on display, a subtle nod to Mary.

WBIR

A subtle reference to Mary in the basement of the Clinchfield Railroad Museum in Erwin.

WBIR

The old Clinchfield rail offices looking across the yard where Mary was hanged in 1916.

Unicoi County Heritage Museum

The wrecking derrick used in 1916 to hang Mary.

Jamie Rice

An example of an Erwin Elephant Revival statue.

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