by Madison Ogashi

Created on: November 07, 2008

At family gatherings or on holiday, my sister, mom and I sit around the table and talk about old times....reminisce about 'the good old days.' The story I enjoy hearing, is the one about an elephant named Modoc....in the middle of town, in Indiana. Mom was about 9 or 10 when this happened, and she seen Modoc in person, but not quite so up close as some other people did then.

It was November in 1942 when the ad in the paper, said the circus was coming to town. Wabash Indiana had some excitement for about a week back then. The Great American Circus had come for its last performance until after WWII. Alot of its male performers were going off to war.

The day came for the circus, the people were filing into the High School gym where it was to be held, when outside was the main attraction .... 3 big Asian Elephants. Judy, Empress and Modoc. They were securely tied on the north side of the school, when a group of dogs came by and startled the elephants. They all got loose, Judy and Empress were caught within minutes, but Modoc made a run for freedom that lasted for 5 days! By the time she was caught, she had lost over 800 pounds and had crossed the Wabash River 5 times, and crossed the county line, once.

In 1942, the High School was on Hill Street, close to the downtown area. When Modoc got loose, she headed for downtown. Her first encounter was with Mrs. Kessler, who had just gotten off of work, and wanted to stop in at the drug store, then was the Bradley Brothers to get a bite to eat before going home. Well, Mrs. Kessler had a fur mink coat on that day, and Modoc thought she'd check it out. Needless to say, Mrs. Kessler hid for cover when she saw the elephant coming. Modoc soon lost interest in the strange 2-legged animal when she smelt the peanuts in the store.

Modoc had pushed her way in through a 42-inch door to get at the peanuts. The clerk was flabbergasted when she looked up and saw an elephant in the store! As Modoc was poking at the peanut machine, she knocked over a few table and chairs, pushed the soda fountain about 12 feet away from it's base, picked up Mrs. Kessler, laid her back down on the floor, rolled Mrs. Kessler around with her trunk a couple times who by this time had passed out from fright. Then Modoc left out the back door and continued on her long, adventurous journey.

The people downtown thought it was some kind of circus stunt, so they really didn't mind seeing the elephant walking in the streets. Modoc was on Highway 13, north of town when

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