Title:
Jumbo the Elephant, St. Thomas, Ontario
Author(s):
F. Michael Bartlett
Publication:
Concrete International
Volume:
48
Issue:
3
Appears on pages(s):
31-33
Keywords:
concrete monument, decorative concrete
DOI:
10.14359/51750549
Date:
3/1/2026
Abstract:
The City of St. Thomas, ON, Canada, erected a concrete statue of Jumbo the Elephant in 1985 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the circus elephant’s tragic death in St. Thomas after being struck by a train. This article is the first in a series by ACI Committee 120, History of Concrete, about commemorative monuments across North America and around the globe that have been constructed using concrete.
Related References:
1. Korbiel, D., exhibition curator, and Howard, M., museum curator, Jumbomania, Elgin County Museum, 2025, St. Thomas, ON, Canada. (visited Nov. 5, 2025)
2. Phillips, F.H., “Jumbo’s Death March Began in Province,” Fredericton Daily Gleaner, May 18, 1985, p. 15.
3. “The Life of Jumbo the Elephant,” St. Thomas Public Library, St. Thomas, ON, Canada, 2014, 5 pp.
4. “James A. Bailey, King of Circus Men, Is Dead,” New York Times, Apr. 12, 1906, 2 pp., https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1906/04/12/101773989.pdf. (accessed Jan. 28, 2026)
5. Kennedy, L., “Did 21 Elephants Really Stress-Test the Brooklyn Bridge?” A&E Television Networks, LLC, New York, Oct. 21, 2025, https://www.history.com/articles/brooklyn-bridge-elephant-procession-p-t-barnum-jumbo-1884. (accessed Jan. 28, 2026)
6. Goss, D., “When Jumbo Came to Saint John,” Telegraph-Journal, June 29, 1985, p. 29.
7. Williams, B., “Hometown Specialty: St. Thomas’s Tribute to Jumbo Shows a City Proud of Its Past,” The London Free Press, Aug. 20, 2025, https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/hometown-specialty-st-thomass-tribute-to-jumbo-shows-a-city-proud-of-its-past. (accessed Jan. 27, 2026)
8. “Barnum, P. T. (Phineas Taylor),” Tufts University Archival Research Center, https://archives.tufts.edu/agents/people/16922. (accessed Jan. 28, 2026)
9. “Winston Bronnum,” MyNewBrunswick.ca, Nov. 28, 2024, https://mynewbrunswick.ca/winston-bronnum. (accessed Jan. 27, 2026)
10. Kenna, K., “Home at Last! Jumbo Returns to the Town That Never Forgot,” The Toronto Star, June 9, 1985, p. 2.
11. Kenna, K., “St. Thomas Jumbo to Travel Under Wraps,” The Toronto Star, May 7, 1985, p. 7.
12. “The Jumbo Statue,” CASO Station, St. Thomas, ON, Canada, https://casostation.ca/hall-of-fame/the-jumbo-statue/. (accessed Jan. 28, 2026)