By ADAM BALZ
Monroe County Local History Room volunteer researcher
In June 1919, an ad appeared on the front page of the Norwalk Star. It announced the opening of a circus in Wilton, owned and operated by one of the county’s most well-known residents, Herman Miller.
Born in 1874, Miller had grown up in the vibrant heart of Chicago. His father was a semi-famous musician, and his mother had been a renowned opera singer in Europe before immigrating to the U.S. It was only natural that Miller, raised by performers, would choose an entertainment career for himself.
It wasn’t until 1910, however, that opening his own circus because possible. That year, the Dode Fisk Circus of Wonewoc closed for good. Quickly, Herman bought up the circus’ old materials and began planning. Within the decade, he opened H.R. Miller’s Wagon Circus in Wilton.
With two shows daily — the first at 2:15 in the afternoon and the second at 8:15 at night — Miller’s circus promised a wide variety of performers. These included Miss Rose, a soprano who sang three songs; Miss Lilian La Plant, a juggler who used parasols; comedy acrobats named Metz and Metz; and Ella Rowe Miller, Herman’s wife, who rode “dancing” horses with Lilian La Plant and took them over hurdles.
The circus’ main attraction, however, was undoubtedly Tippy, “the only living BEAR that rides a bucking horse.” A photograph taken around 1920 shows a man — possibly Miller himself — sitting side-saddle on one horse while another stands nearby. Clinging to the back of the second horse is Tippy, facing camera. The only protection offered to the horse is a thick blanket.
Despite Miller’s use of a wild animal, there is only one recorded instance of Tippy causing him problems. In August 1925, the Wilton Herald reported that Tippy had escaped from Miller’s farm. “It slipped the collar off last week Tuesday,” the article stated, “and as Mr. Miller was at Friendship, there was no one who cared to tackle the job of chaining it up again. Some of the neighbors even refused to go after their cows when they learned that the bear was at large.”
Tippy remained free for a few days, until Herman returned home and began searching for his star attraction. The search did not take long — Miller found “his pet” a half-mile away.
“They went home together,” the newspaper reported, “and the neighbors are breathing easy again.”
Perhaps the only animals more cherished than Tippy were Miller’s horses. In the early years of his circus, a horse named Billie was heralded for his “human brain” and would “do everything but talk,” according to the ads.
Eventually, Billie was replaced by Thunder, a Palomino born around 1940. Thunder became Miller’s treasure, and the two were frequently photographed together, often with Miller astride the horse. In ads, he was referred to as “Thunder the Wonder Horse.”
Miller also took his circus on the road. This took an incredible amount of preparation, since his troupe included performers, a band, various family members, horses, and other wild animals. Eventually, being away from home forced Miller to keep his circus based in Monroe County, which is where it stayed.
Even though Miller’s circus remained in operation for years, it never gained the reputation enjoyed by other, more successful shows. This put financial strain on the family, which became quite large over time. Altogether, Herman and Ella had 12 children, eight of whom survived into adulthood. They endured an endless number of tragedies, including the loss of their home in a fire, the death of four children, and a bout of scarlet fever in 1936 that caused the entire family to be quarantined.
Nevertheless, Herman Miller persisted. In 1953, at age 77, he joined the Thomas Buchanan All-Star Circus for a 17-week tour. Along with his daughter Shirley, his horses and bear, Herman once again performed for adoring audiences who marveled at his trained animals.
In 1957, Herman Miller passed away at the age of 81. In keeping with his wishes, his casket was carried in a horse-drawn wagon. It was followed by Thunder the Wonder Horse, who walked with an empty saddle in tribute to Herman.
Thunder lived another seven years, though he was never the same. As one newspaper later wrote, “Ever since the death of Miller, Thunder has been unfriendly and wouldn’t let any members of the family pet him or ride him. Efforts to move Thunder from the … farm at Wilton to stables closer to Sparta for convenience proved futile. One way or another, Thunder would get out of the corral and head back for the home farm.”
It was on Miller’s old farm that Thunder was eventually buried, committed to the very land on which he had spent almost his entire life, bringing joy to the surrounding community alongside Herman Miller and his family.
Author’s note: For more information and historic photos of the Herman Miller Circus, be sure to visit the Monroe County Local History Room’s online database at www.MCLHR.org.