The Last Robinson Elephant

Background: (Slideshow below)

Did you know that one of the last of the Robinson Elephants, 'Pit', is buried in Dillon, Montana?

We were recently made aware of this by Dillon resident, Jack Kirkley. As a retired biology professor, Jack had initially floated the notion of digging up the grave to create a museum display featuring the restored elephant skeleton. But public opposition to disturbing "Old Pit's" grave prompted Jack to instead dig into the interesting history of this elephant and her other troop members.

After the Robinson Circus ended its 69-year run, with its final show season in 1911, John Robinson III kept five of his female elephants, Tillie, Clara, Pit, Tony and Ella. He continued to tour them as the John Robinson Military Elephants. Ella died in 1913, when she broke loose and jumped into the Hudson River. After John's death and the deaths from old age of Tillie, Clara and Tony, the last remaining elephant, Pit, was given to the Cole Brothers Circus in 1942. That is how she ended up in Dillon, Montana in 1943.

As the story goes, there was a thunderstorm during a perfomance and the elephants, who were outside the tents, were struck by lightning. All of them recovered except for Pit, who was buried on the spot as she was too large to move.

Jack has shared his research with us in the form of a slideshow, which he originally created for the town of Dillon. You can also find this story at https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/4495.

The plaque over Pit's grave can even be found on Google Maps!