Tillie (circa 1870 – 1932) was a female
Asian elephant
The Asian elephant (''Elephas maximus''), also known as the Asiatic elephant, is the only living ''Elephas'' species. It is the largest living land animal in Asia and the second largest living Elephantidae, elephantid in the world. It is char ...
that was the mascot of the
John Robinson Circus
John H. Robinson (circus), John H. Robinson created the John Robinson Circus, whose winter quarters were in Terrace Park, Ohio.
Famous elephants Chief
"Chief", an elephant from John Robinson's circus, killed his trainer in Charlotte, North Caro ...
.
Tillie was acquired by
John Robinson, owner of the circus, in 1872.
[ She was the leader of the elephant pack.][ Tillie was one of four elephants that the Robinsons kept when they sold the Robinson Circus in 1912.][
Tillie's image is shown on the cover Phillip J. Nuxhall's book ''Stories from the Grove'',][ and she can be seen in a poster on page 76 of Dann Woellert's book ''Cincinnati's Northside Neighborhood''.
When the circus performed in the neighborhood of ]Northside, Cincinnati
Northside is one of the 52 neighborhoods of Cincinnati, Ohio. Northside was originally known as Cumminsville, but the construction of I-74 in 1974 divided Cumminsville into North and South Cumminsville, and by the 1980s, North Cumminsville beca ...
(formerly Cumminsville, Ohio), Tillie led the procession.[
]
Death
A full page obituary was published in ''The Cincinnati Enquirer
''The Cincinnati Enquirer'' is a morning daily newspaper published by Gannett in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. First published in 1841, the ''Enquirer'' is the last remaining daily newspaper in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, altho ...
'' when Tillie died in 1932. An audience of two thousand celebrated her death in Terrace Park at her home on Elm Avenue in Terrace Park, Ohio
Terrace Park is a village (United States)#Ohio, village in Hamilton County, Ohio, Hamilton County, Ohio, and a suburb of Greater Cincinnati. The population was 2,355 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census.
History
The primary document for ...
as planes dropped carnations and the remaining three elephants stood by as a cannon was fired.[
Exactly where Tilles is buried is uncertain. Rumors that she was buried in ]Spring Grove Cemetery
Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum is a nonprofit rural cemetery and arboretum located at 4521 Spring Grove Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio. At a size of 733 acres (2.97 km2), it is the third largest cemetery in the United States, after the Calverto ...
have not been substantiated.[ Although there is a tombstone for Tillie on the Robinson's old property in Terrace Park, Lynn Nelson, who was a 30-year resident of Terrace Park, insists Tille is not buried under the tombstone, but is instead buried in a dry well on the same property.][
Nuxhall and Nelson both believe her legs were cut off and made into umbrellas stands.]
See also
* List of individual elephants
The following is a list of culturally or scientifically notable elephants.
Actors
* Chirakkal Kalidasan, one of the tallest elephants in Kerala, also notable for acting in some films, including the 2017 epic film, ''Baahubali 2: The Conc ...
References
Resources
*
* {{Cite web, url=https://tpsurvey.org/address/circus-place/1, title=Entry for Address: 1 Circus Place. Building Name: Robinson Circus House, website=Terrace Park Building Survey, publisher=Terrace Park Woman's Club, access-date=2020-01-05
External links
Tillie's Lounge -- history page
-- The bar is named after Tillie the elephant.
Circus elephants
1932 animal deaths
Individual elephants in the United States
Individual Asian elephants