Hugo, Oklahoma -
Showman's Rest and Bull Rider's Reprieve

Showman's Rest and Bull Rider's Reprieve

Special sections of this cemetery are set aside for circus performers and professional bull riders. Roadsideamerica.com Report...

Circus Performer Graves

Re: Hugo's Mount Olive Cemetery circus graves. The circus that still presides there is the Kelly Greatest Show on Earth, and sits 10 miles east of the town. You can visit this traveling circus during the winter months and see the world's largest land of free roaming circus elephants. This cemetery also is known for being the resting place of Lane Frost, famous Oklahoma bullrider, and subject of the movie "Eight Seconds." [kenneth hicks, 06/17/2001]

Circus People Cemetery

About 5 years ago I went through Hugo, in the southeast corner of the state, and stopped at the city cemetery. I don't remember how to get there, but it was in town and not hard to find. In the northwest corner of this cemetery is not exactly a pet cemetery, but rather a section devoted entirely to circus people -- elephant trainers with pachyderm-shaped tombstones, etc. Hugo was once the winter home of one of the big travelling circuses, maybe Barnum & Bailey(?). Interesting inscriptions on several of the stones, also. [Ed Vinson, 02/23/1999]

[RA: The "Showmen's Rest" section is marked with stone elephants. Look for the towering tombstone of circus owner Big John Strong, "The man with more friends than Santa Claus."]