Another Historical Plaque in Downtown

The Promotion Committee’s Debra McGinn wrote a Jefferson Rotary grant to pay for another historical plaque in Jefferson’s downtown.  She was awarded $1,595 to go towards this project by Rotarian John Brunow at the Rotary meeting on Monday, March 27.  There were seven nominees for plaques at the Historical Plaque Walk in September, 2016.  Those attending were invited to vote for the order in which these plaques would be created once funds were secured.  The Rotary grant will go towards funding the 13th plaque in Jefferson’s downtown.

This plaque celebrates Yankee Robinson, the legendary circus promoter who happened to give Ringling brothers their big break. Yankee died here in Jefferson, and Ringling brothers took over the circus and the rest is history. Yankee is buried at the local cemetery east of town. Ringling brothers purchased the headstone for Yankee; for many years when the circus came to town, circus performers would parade out to the cemetery and lay carnations on his grave to show their admiration and respect they had for him.