Eagles Carnivals in Sandusky

Milton Earle donated this souvenir badge from the Eagles Carnival Sandusky. The letters F.O.E. on the badge stands for the phrase Fraternal Order of Eagles. In 1911 the Eagles Carnival was held at Central Park, where entertainment included a high diver and a balloonist. Festivities took place from May 15 to May 20.  The Sandusky Register of May 17, 1911 described the Tuesday night’s festivities:

Yesterday’s balloon ascension was much better than Monday’s. The professor had soared high into the air when three shots, the signal for him to come down, were fired by a policeman on the grounds. The reports of the revolver reaching his ears, the professor cut loose his trio of parachutes one after another, and was soon on terra firma, uninjured, somewhere over near Campbell Street and Columbus Avenue.

In 1917 the Eagles Carnival was held from July 16 to 21 1917 at the Jackson Street Pier.

The Eagles Carnival in 1917 opened with a grand parade, and concluded with a fireworks show. Three hundred people from the DeVaux Greater Shows came to Sandusky on a special train to provide entertainment. The Sandusky Register featured  several front page articles about the Eagles when the Mardi Gras themed carnival was held in February of 1929.

The Eagles Carnival of 1929 was said to be “the greatest Lodge event ever staged.” Several cash prizes were to be awarded in a big contest, as well as free subscriptions to the Register. The grand prize was a Chrysler Plymouth sedan, selected from the Stroh Motor Company on Wayne Street.

To enter the contest, area residents had to take the February 10 issue of the Sandusky Register to the businesses whose ads appeared in that issue, and have the staff sign the advertisement. Papers with the completed signatures were then to be turned in to Mr. Oliver at the Bazar. Prizes were awarded to the first thirteen entries received. Below are just a few of the ads which appeared in the “Eagles Scream” edition of the Sandusky Register.

 The “Eagles Scream” edition of the Sandusky Register contained several articles which pointed out the activities of the local Eagles Lodge, including their aid to victims of floods and fires, and advocating for the enactment of an old age pension fund. Visit the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center to read about the past Eagles Carnivals. Several decades of copies of local newspapers are available on microfilm.