1

Perhaps what was most remarkable about the E. J. Casey Shows was their presence in remote communities (described by a journalist as "probably the most northern circuit of any carnival on the continent") and their dedication to townspeople. The carnival, with its bright lights and fancy rides, brought big city excitement and "pre-war glamour" to small, rural communities. These included such places as: Sherridon, Flin Flon, Cranberry Portage, The Pas, Swan River; as well as Dryden, Kenora, Red Lake andSioux Lookout in northwestern Ontario; Fort Frances and Rainy River on the Ontario-Minnesota border; locations in Saskatchewan, such as Nipawin and North Battleford; and Cardston, Red Deer, and Medicine Hat, Alberta, among others.

In his unpublished, autobiographical manuscript, Casey recalls E. J. Casey Shows' first trip to Red Lake (or Red Lake Mines) in 1939, which was also the first time the town had been visited by a carnival. To reach the northern Ontario town, the carnival equipment had to be loaded onto five large barges at Hudson, Ontario, which were then pulled by a tug boat "like a train." After three days, during which the show staff enjoyed much fishing, the equipment was unloaded on McKenzie Island and the carnival erected there. The bright lights of the show attracted people who came on taxi boats, with some spending the night on the island.

2

Madeleine, Ted and David Casey in Front of E. J. C. Shows' First Truck
Circa 1935
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Credits:
University of Winnipeg Archives, Western Canadian Pictorial Index, E. J. Casey Shows Collection, Image Number 50650
Charron, Glenn
Walker, Jennifer

3

E. J. C. Shows' Staff and Vehicle Fleet
Circa 1936
Canada

Credits:
North American Carnival Museum and Archives, Casey Fonds
Charron, Glenn
Walker, Jennifer

4

Advertisement for E. J. C. Shows
Circa 1935
Fort Frances, Ontario, Canada

Credits:
North American Carnival Museum and Archives, Casey Fonds
Charron, Glenn
Walker, Jennifer

5

Advertisement For Attractions Offered by E. J. Casey Shows
Circa 1950
Rainy River, Ontario, Canada

Credits:
North American Carnival Museum and Archives, Casey Fonds
Charron, Glenn
Walker, Jennifer

6

Lights For Flash
Circa 1936
Canada

Credits:
Casey, Edgar James, Quote Taken From "The E. J. Casey Story," An Unpublished Autobiography, 2004
Jackson, Clay
Charron, Glenn
Walker, Jennifer

7

Edgar and Mary on the Road
Circa 1937
Canada

Credits:
North American Carnival Museum and Archives, Casey Fonds
Charron, Glenn
Walker, Jennifer

8

Edgar on the Midway of E .J. C. Shows, Rainy River, Ontario
Circa 1936
Rainy River, Ontario, Canada

Credits:
University of Winnipeg Archives, Western Canadian Pictorial Index, E. J. Casey Shows Collection, Image Number 50685
Charron, Glenn
Walker, Jennifer

9

E. J. C. Shows' Truck
Circa 1937
Manitoba, Canada

Credits:
University of Winnipeg Archives, Western Canadian Pictorial Index, E. J. Casey Shows Collection, Image Number 50663
Charron, Glenn
Walker, Jennifer

10

Wadena Agricultural Society Advertisement
1 August 1939
Wadena, Saskatchewan, Canada

Credits:
North American Carnival Museum and Archives, Casey Fonds
Charron, Glenn
Walker, Jennifer

11

E. J. Casey Shows' Staff Posing in Front of a Bus
Circa 1939
Canada

Credits:
North American Carnival Museum and Archives, Casey Fonds
Charron, Glenn
Walker, Jennifer

12

E. J. Casey Shows' Transport Trailer
Circa 1940
Canada

Credits:
University of Winnipeg Archives, Western Canadian Pictorial Index, E. J. Casey Shows Collection, Image Number 50645
Charron, Glenn
Walker, Jennifer

13

Little Current Carnival Bill
Circa 1940
Little Current, Ontario, Canada

Credits:
North American Carnival Museum and Archives, Casey Fonds
Charron, Glenn
Walker, Jennifer

14

Scows Transporting Casey Carnival to Red Lake Mines, Ontario
Circa 1939
Ontario, Canada

Credits:
North American Carnival Museum and Archives, Casey Fonds
Charron, Glenn
Walker, Jennifer