In the fall of 1922, the circus rolled into town and brought with it Topsy, a four-ton elephant that would escape her handlers twice and lead a chase through Wilmington that included a swim in the Cape Fear River and a warpath of damaged buildings. The second season premiere episode of "Cape Fear Unearthed" follows Topsy's story with the help of Jan Davidson, the historian for the Cape Fear Museum in Wilmington.
Cape Fear Unearthed is written, edited and hosted by Hunter Ingram.
Additional editing by Adam Fish. Recorded at WHQR in downtown Wilmington.
A StarNews Media Production.
Sources:
"Stories Old and New of the Cape Fear Region" by Louis T. Moore
Wilmington Morning Star, October 1922 editions
"Legends of Old Wilmington & Cape Fear" by John Hirchak
Hurricane-Force History
Long Live Old Baldy
Cape Fear Classics, Vol. 2
Rebellion at Brunswick Town
The Downfall of Charles Town
Trouble Comes to Town
A Most Daring Escape
The Showboat Goes to War
Blood and Honor at Ten Paces
The Yellow Death
Still Burning: The Story of Firestarter
The Roots of the Azalea Festival
The Suicide Club
The Palace of Light
Wilmington in the Time of Nazis
Cape Fear Classics, Vol. 1
Ghosts of Gallows Hill
Massacre After Midnight
The Man, The Myth, The Hermit
The Lost Treasure of Money Island
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