American history. First ladies, Inspiring Stories of fascinating women who survived the scrutiny of the white house. A great summertime read available as a hardcover or an ebook to your favorite bookstore or online bookseller. Through your favorite bookstore or online bookseller. Each week we bring you archival films that help to tell the story of the 20th century. A day in old milwaukee is a documentary sponsored by schlitz brewing, depicting the restoration of the elaborate circus wagons from the brewery for their museum. It concludes with the july 4 parade of the restored wagons and performers. Hi. Im joey brown. You know the good old days of people are always talking about . What are some good things in those good old days. Most of the good memories was this. Something many of you have never seen. A circus parade. This was the spectacular, i guess today youd call it a commercial, to let everyone in town know that the big top was being raised. And the everyday hum drum world would soon be trance filled into one filled with exotic animals. Pretty girls filling pretty costumes and that daring young man on the flying trapeze. It was a wonderful world, i know because i lad the good fortune to start my show Business Career in the circus. I was an arielist, one of the five marvelous ashtons. The marvelous was our oechb idea. Unfortunately, there hasnt been one of these circus parades for more years than some of us care to remember. So it was natural for the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company to decide to recreate this wonderful bit of americana for milwaukees celebration of the fourth of july. These are the streets of milwaukee on the morning of july 4th. In a matter of hour, they will be the site of the biggest circus parade held anywhere anytime. But it takes a lot of work to bring a memory back to larger than life and the schitz people joined hands with a team of experts at the Circus World Museum. Wisconsin is known as the mother of circuses having been the birth place of more than 90 of them including the biggest. Here at the you new seemuseum, display, models, pictures and exhibits take the visitor back through the history of the circus. Theres a handsome devil. They say i was the rock hudson of my day. Boy, those were the good old days. Director of the Circus World Museum established in 1959 is charles p. Fox known to everyone as chappy. Chapppy and his chief craftsman will hold hundreds of meetings in the six month job of restoring over two dozen circus wagons to their original beauty. Minute details are checked against photographs. Some of the wagons are so old that even photographs of them are rare collectors items. While chappy and ernie confer on work, craftsmen begin the process. This wagon built over 70 years ago ago. First job is to get all the old paint off. When do you, you come to understand the beauty of the carvings. Those you lovely ladies will adorn this wagon as soon as they get their turn in the beauty parlor. Does she or doesnt she . Only the man with the blow torch knows for sure. Nine out of ten hollywood stars use this as their beauty secret. When the paint is removed, every detail on each wagon is sanded down, touched up and repaired if necessary. This is the sky board that ruchbs along the top of the john bull wagon in the background. When this lady came down with a rare shin disease, ernie made her a new one. Hes known as the ben casey of baribou. Look at some of the detail work on this wagon built in 1903. Safety hasnt been overlooked. Brand new brakes have been installed. While ernie primes the reconstructed Great Britain wagon for its final coats of paint, work goes on in other parts of town. Karl robinson, who was making tent poles for where i thinkoriginally brothers fashions a new tongue for a wagon. And wilbur debbies machine shop, an exact model of a 1901 originally brothersring originally brothers begins to put on a bright new coat. Dont let me get any of you small fry in teachrouble with your teachers, but in the world of circus, its pronounced caleo. Back in the museum workshop, karl puts the finishing touches on a wagons wheel. I wish my barbers hands were as steady. As pressure of time mounts, the work increases. Cals wife comes into lend an experienced hand. Cal and his wife run a sign painting business. If you want a sign painted, see cal. You might tell him joe e. September you. Sent you. And so the restoration job is completed. Wagons from generous donors join others in presenting their bright original faces toed world. Chappy fox says schlitz has made an emore husband connormous contribution by paying for the restoration. That work could be done while members of the vanishing group of artists and craftsmen are still available. Noerts noets the the wagons are loaded on flat beds for the trip to milwaukee. A lot of human muscle is needed to guide the wagons up on the trailers. One false move and they will all be standing knee deep in 6 tons of circus wagon. But the fine irish happened hand of eddie obrien and his expert team get the job done without any mishaps. 5 00 a. M. And the final stages of operation fourth of july begin. The drivers get a final briefing. Officers with the which is wednesday wisconsin state Highway Patrol have been assigned to escort. And were on our way. From out of morning listmist come ghosts. Friendly ghosts that become more and more real as the sun moves higher in the wisconsin sky. They become so real, surprising its time for chow. The journey continues. Circus wagon 54, where are you . At the city limits, the Milwaukee Police pick up the convoy and escort it through the Downtown District to the marshaling area. For five day, convoys bring groups of the wagons to this area. Where theyloaded to the delight of crowds of spectators. Hundreds of magnificent horses from all over the United States and canada begin to arrive at their new home. As do the next generation of famous american artists. Teams of horses are hitched to their respective wagons for trial runs. Everything seems to be working out just fine and thats all to the good because the months of time for preparation and plans have run out. Its the fourth of july. Children participate in traditional activities planned for them by parks. There are athletic events and competitions for decorating coaster wagons. Doll carriages. Whoops. And bicycles. Over at the brewery, schlitz throws a huge hold fashioned picknic for 1500 guests from all over the country. Forget the calories. Its a holiday. The host of a day in old milwaukee schlitz president robert eli and his gracious mrs. Parade time is nearing and some of the performers take their positions. Isnt that a pretty pussycat. Behind bars that is. Elephants all present and accounted for, sir. Hi there. A half Million People line the 3 1 2 mile route which twists and turns through downtown. The hands of time turned back. As were on our way to a day in old milwaukee. Leading off is antique automobiles. Of course im much too young to remember any of them. Thats the mayor of milwaukee honorable henry myer, in a rambler. That was before my time, but i have the name in my script. Uhoh, trouble. Why dont they get a horse. Good. Help will be on its way. The Senior Center from wisconsin in a let me see what is this here. A 1929 packard. Isnt that a beauty. Its a marmon watch, americas first station wagon. A 1915 ford. I remember when we had one. I think ill stick to the script if you dont mind. This is it. Here we go. The start of the biggest circus parade ever. Milwaukee becomes the fourth of july capital of america. Mr. And mrs. Eli accompany the parade marshal, john kelly. Trumpeters and tlagflag bearers, wagon pulled by eight clydesdalesclits clydesdales. Aboard is the south county band. Weighs empty 5 tons. 6 belgiums pull this wagon built in 1884 and donated to the museum by walt disney productions. Everyone be quiet, youll wake the tigers. Let sleeping tigers lie. The asia tablo wagon, it was built in 1903 and its carvings represent the various countries in asia. It does not recognize red china. The camel patrol from madison, wisconsin powered by riders on pure bred arabian horses. Relatively simple but nonetheless beautiful is this wag on that, the dragon and mirror tablo. Six matched belgiums draw this 1915 wagon. A wonderful display of horsemanship. Horsewoman horsewomanship . Well, horse back riding. This is drawn by three midget mules. Another walt disney donation is this handsome cage wagon. Its just a baby as wagons go having been built in the 1920s. Six clydesdales make up the team. And the tiger ss are a link. This is Something Like oscar night. The sea she will tableau wagon donated by may i have en envelope, please will walt sdiz anydisney wagons. Built in 1907. 23 feet long, 10 feet high and it weighs 5 tons. Tableaun, built it 1916, 11 feet high and a hefty 4 tons. Lloyd the lalama, a favorite in the circus world. The france banding a on. This the number one bandwagoned a the asia were all donated by Carson Perry Scott and company of chicago. With this being the first circus parade in so long, many people didnt know what to wear. Two different fashion trends were set. One was fur coats for men. And the other, hats. Here is our baby caleo all shiny bright and full of music. It runs on a six point power engine. The cinderella float like the old woman in the shoe which follow it is was built in 1884. After long careers both this europe and america, they were abandoned on a farm in missouri. Dedicated circus lovers found them and saw to it that they made their way to the museum. Call the humane society. Why is he making that tiny creature pull that big heavy heavy wagon . Despite the passengers, this wagon was not donated by oh here comes the colombia band wagon. This is the first circus wagon brought to the museum from outside the state of wisconsin. Built in 1903, this originally was a steam caleo wagon. Now it carries an electrically operated operated operated xyrloxylophone. Another disney donation, the wag son, not the girls. The girls are from schlitz. Some of the midwest profession important leaders are on the mirror tableau wagon built in 1902. Eight clydesdales pull the wagon built in 1903, donated to the museum by the family of a famous carnival owner bill hains, as was the john bull wagon. If you think this is good, you should see him do the twist. Good anyone see which way the masked man in the pipe horse went . This is the kind of a transportation i remember. John bull resplendid thrills the crowd. Over 60 years old and still a showstopper. A 1920 wagon weighs a ton and a half and is 15 feet long and 11 feet high. These elephants like the wild animals in the parade come from ringley brothers. Performing in milwaukee in conjunction with this celebration. Youll notice hes kneeling in the direction of mr. Ed. The traditional closer for a circus parade, the big scene caleo, built in 1903, this wagon known as the america wagon performs regularly up at the you museum at baraboo. The practical closer are these gentlemen. But there is still more to come. Mr. Forest tucker a music man who does know the territory leads off a display of musicianship and precision marching and drilling as bands and drum and bugle corpses fill the eye with color and the ear with music. As the last band passes, an ocean of people falls into line to march. Then home or perhaps a picnic dinner and down to the lake front for a gigantic display to end this day, a truly special day. Our countrys birthday. As the last of the rockets red glare fades into the night sky this city looks forward to next year when it celebrates a day in old millwaukee and becomes again americas fourth of july capital. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] you are watching American History tv, 48 hours of programming on American History every weekend on cspan3. Follow us on twitter for his scheduled programs and to keep up with the latest history news. Each week reel america features archival films that help tell the story of the 20th century. Britains lord halifax presiding the head of the organization, the organizer of the successful nine week meeting