I Tell Stories
I Tell Stories Podcast covers a wide range of topics discussed by Colt Draine and Owen "The Mic" McMichael. From the scourge on humanity of violent business hippies and Scott Baio to peculiar Serbian Mother's Day traditions,the boys offer their unique perspective. Revolutionary artists,legends of folklore and bizzare following of fast food items are just a few of the subjects touched on. I Tell Stories aims to bring attention to individuals and occerrences that are too interesting to be forgotten. Two long time friends who keep each other laughing give listeners their take on the world. Everyone has a story, these are ours and those of many others.
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I Tell Stories
Oh Canada: Brothels, Brigades, and Bozos
A clown and a fireman walk into a brothel... It sounds like the setup to a joke, but this bizarre collision sparked one of the most consequential riots in Canadian history and forever changed the face of Toronto.
The Toronto Circus Riot of 1855 erupted when rugged performers from S.B. Howe's Star Troop Menagerie and Circus—think less birthday party entertainers and more hard-laborers who could erect massive tents and wrangle exotic animals—encountered local firefighters at the White House Tavern, a notorious brothel. These weren't your friendly neighborhood firefighters either. Known as "rowdies," Toronto's firefighters were notorious for brawling with rival companies, looting burning buildings, and engaging in corrupt practices under the protection of the Orange Order, a Protestant Irish fraternity that effectively controlled the city.
When the clowns soundly thrashed the firefighters in their initial tavern confrontation, the humiliated rowdies retreated only to return with reinforcements during the next day's circus performance. What followed was utter chaos—firefighters ironically setting circus tents ablaze, performers fleeing for their lives (some even jumping into nearby rivers), and police either joining the mayhem or standing idle. The violence grew so extreme that Toronto's mayor physically intervened, reportedly saving a clown's life by wrestling an axe from a firefighter's hand, and ultimately had to summon a militia when the police proved useless.
This absurd yet violent confrontation became the catalyst for sweeping reforms. Public outrage at the blatant corruption forced a dismantling of "the Corporation" (as the Orange Order's leadership was known), professionalized emergency services, and transformed Toronto from a lawless frontier town to a city eventually nicknamed "Toronto the Good." It's a remarkable reminder that sometimes history's most significant turning points emerge from the most unexpected places—like a brothel brawl between clowns and firefighters.
Curious about other wild moments from North American history that shaped our modern cities? Subscribe to our podcast and join us each week as we uncover the strange, forgotten stories that created the world we live in today.
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Ahoy hoy.
Speaker 2:And ahoy to you. Hi, Good sir, On this beautiful day creeping up into summer, at the end of the school year for most of the kids, right, yeah, Sounds good. Hey, you're one to tell jokes Like. For some reason, Owen, you seem to like always remember some joke, right? I'm not very good at them, but you seem to have a knack for that. I was wondering if you ever heard one that started with a clown and a fireman walked into a brothel.
Speaker 1:I did just as of today, basically, essentially, that's what the setup was for an event, toronto we're going to describe to you, but I I watched a uh, an interesting video where yeah man said like this sounds like it it's uh, you know, leading up to a joke but no, it's not, it's a real deal.
Speaker 2:uh, it's about the toronto circus rights of 1855, which you know some of you may have heard of it, I don't know, seems like kind of an obscure one, but let's roll with it. This one was actually. This riot is actually responsible, they say, for creating the Toronto that we know today, because it led the way for a lot of reform in their policing, fire departments and just local politics in general. And eventually, I don't know I didn't know this until I researched this episode, but Toronto had kind of a moniker nickname and it was Toronto the Good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that was after all of this reform and stuff, because it was kind of it seemed like a wild, you know. Then it was the Wild West, you know Right. Yeah, it reminded me of the movie. Then it was the Wild West, you know Right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it reminded me of the movie. Yeah, yeah, it reminded me of the movie Gangs of New York, for those that have seen it, but a little bit more. So I don't know. The story's crazy, so I suppose what do you think we get into it? Indeed, all right. So the Toronto Circus Riot of 1855 is one of the most famous riots in early Canadian urban history. It happened on July 12th of 1855. And what basically happened is like there was a traveling circus that came to town and this is one of the first I read to actually do such a thing, to carry these big tents and do all this grueling labor to set up just for a couple of days, only to haul back everything up and take off, haul it out. Man, you know so, but it was the I love the name, by the way, it's a heck of a name Owen SB, howe's Star Troop, menagerie and Circus.
Speaker 1:Anytime you use it.
Speaker 2:It's got a nice ring to it, yeah yeah, or some people may call it the S-B-H-S-T-M-N-C. So you know, well said, I tried Nonetheless out of here, knocked that one out of the park, I feel. But this play, anytime you use Menagerie in a title, it's just hilarious. I mean, it does sound kind of like fantastical, but obviously it probably reminds more people of another word, but it's a thing, guys. It means, like you know, it's a bunch of spectacles in one place under one roof, a menagerie, anyway. So I guess that could apply to both scenarios though. Here we are. So this American circus and menagerie that was in Canada jeez, I'm on it today, aren't I? Not Included clowns, acrobats, equestrian acts and exotic animals like elephants and a giraffe. I never found any evidence of anything else, but they do have a giraffe as well.
Speaker 1:What giraffe? What was the giraffe's name? Did you uncover this?
Speaker 2:Giraffey, I don't know. Do you remember the Chuck Norris joke that had to do with that?
Speaker 1:Oh, absolutely Go ahead, bro. Chuck Norris roundhouse kicked a horse under the chin. Its ancestors became known as giraffe.
Speaker 2:All right, there we are. Yeah, background here Toronto in the 1850s was kind of wild. Population was around 40,000 people and their law enforcement was kind of just formally established in 1834. So that's what 11 years, yeah or no. Wait, 21 years, cold, do the math. It was a pretty small and poorly organized and mainly Irish. That seems to be a trend with a lot of stuff like this in New York as well and on our east coast. I did see. I can't remember if it was in the video that we watched or something different, but it explained slightly why the Irish were mainly firefighters and police and it had simply to do with discrimination and it was their own.
Speaker 1:Sorry, the Orange Order. You saw about that, right, but the Protestant Irish made it so the Catholic Irish immigrants couldn't do anything but menial labor. Yeah, but basically the police were run by this Protestant group of.
Speaker 2:Irish yeah.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:The Orange Order. I'm surprised somebody hasn't latched on to that. It seems like it could be a different kind. Is that what they call MAGA these days? I don sorry, I'm just kidding. The orange order, hey, hey, uh. So on that fun note, um, yeah, these guys were pretty crooked and corrupt as well, and they pretty much like yeah, you're right. But also to add to the, the point why it drew even these Irish Protestants into the Orange Order, or to create it, was because they were being discriminated against as well and it was their only way to grab a hold of some sort of political power. Because these firefighting troops, or whatever they called them, you know, they called them rowdies. That was their nickname, the firefighters, by the way, because they were so freaking rowdy.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but these troops were formed, or whatever, in these police departments based on like local neighborhoods and stuff, because they had to be kind of tough and rugged and whatnot, and that's why the Irish were able to get into that and then gain some political power. And, just like many groups in history, once they gain political power or some sort of power in their segment of the population, you know, then what do they do? They start taking a shit on the other part of their group and then push them down so they have somebody below them. You know, yeah for sure. Instead of working together, they're like you got brown hair Right. That's what it feels like. I don't know, did anybody ever say if they had all red hair or anything?
Speaker 1:I don't know. I did see rowdies as a. That's a very accurate description. It sounded like it's preceding the circus riots. There was a story of two separate fire crews showed up and, rather than trying to save the building that was on fire, they fought each other, and then, when the police showed up and tried to break it up, the firemen turned together and beat the shit out of the police and yeah, the building just burnt to the ground and apparently, allegedly, there was some looting involved.
Speaker 1:Even it was like these people were supposed to be saved, but these guys had just gotten a giant brawl and then beat up.
Speaker 2:The cops Sounded like a rough and tumble town Sounds like Billings Police, hey, so nonetheless. Yeah, dude, that's great. I have something to add to that that building was a church.
Speaker 1:Oh geez, yeah, no pun intended. Yeah, no, it's yeah, no pun intended. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:No, that's insane. So, yeah, they would compete and these carts they would lug around. You know they didn't even use horses. They would like be running down the street with these carts that looked kind of like a wagon with a big vat on it, like a tub to pour water in, and they would be running down the street trying to beat each other to these fires. And and they would be running down the street trying to beat each other to these fires. And it wasn't the only fireman riot that I seen in there. That one you read was one of the other famous ones of sorts, and there's notable ones like six or seven of them within this small time frame of Toronto being birthed.
Speaker 1:What do they call people from?
Speaker 2:Toronto, I don't know, canadian, yeah, I guess. Hey, that works. So the other thing I've seen some of the firemen were also part of street gangs. It was known that they were part of local street gangs as well as their fire department gang of sorts, I suppose. Yeah, it's recorded that engine number one uh company once got into a street fight with the hook and ladder company over who had the right to put out a small warehouse. So that's another one that allowed a story where they allowed the warehouse to burn down. No police involved this time, guys. So now that we, oh, and within all this Orange Order crap that the police and the firemen were a part of, which is kind of funny that they would like fight each other, but they are Irish for one.
Speaker 2:For two, it seems like there was typically alcohol involved, but they would fight each other. But then when these firefighters and police, obviously they'd get brought up on charges eventually because people be so frustrated with this situation that they would take it to court, and then the people who would testify like prosecute them were members of the Orange Order, so they would just get the case dropped and nothing ever happened. Right, lots of bribes and all sorts of racketeering type shit and whatever man. So anyway, I feel like we kind of set the backdrop there, mr McMichael, unless there's anything else you have to add about these rowdies and policemen of 1855 Toronto.
Speaker 1:No, I think we'll get right into the heart of the story.
Speaker 2:All right, my friend. So on the night of July 12th 1855, after the S&B Howard Circus performance that evening, some of the clowns decided they'd go over to the White House Tavern on King Jarvis Street. The White House Tavern was really known for to be. It wasn't a, it was a tavern, but it was a brothel. Right, it was more well known as a brothel. And within my research and reading and you know, going through all my books and whatnot I found that there was quite a few brothels in Toronto at the time, around 40 plus that they knew of. And that's pretty. That's a lot for a town. That's only like. What did they say? 40,000 people, 30,000? I don't know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so it seems like brothels and taverns were the thing, because there's 150 taverns, oh, my goodness, and I'm sure a lot of those were undercover brothels, you know. Right.
Speaker 2:Yeah Jeez, that's insane.
Speaker 1:I'm sure they knew a gal huh.
Speaker 2:Yeah, must have. So after this performance. You know, clowns just being clowns, man, and these clowns, they're rugged, bro. Let's not forget. These ain't our modern-day clowns riding a unicycle or doing stuff like that. Even though that seems slightly athletic, these guys were roughnecks. I would compare them more to like oil rig drillers or some shit like that than people that work on the rigs, because they had to tear down those massive tarps for the tents and haul everything up. It was a very laborious work and they continued to mention that over and over in every article I read about this kind of stressing the point that, hey, these clowns weren't no sissy clowns. Okay, you can just honk their horn and get away with it, all right, or nose whatever.
Speaker 2:Nonetheless, they say that within this fight, uh, uh it. They're not quite sure why it started, but basically some firefighters went into the same brothel and they were kind of vying for these ladies attention back and forth, because this is one of the the firefighters main haunts was this white house brothel or whatnot, the tavern, sorry, anyway. Uh, and so within this they're, they're going for each other's attention. They, one of them, says, like one of the clowns mouthed off or somebody knocked the firefighters hat off, or vice versa, they don't know, but it's just. Craziness ensued and they just started fighting Owen Within. That fight the clowns. Stopped the shit out of these rowdy firemen, did they not?
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, it sounded like they definitely got the better of round one.
Speaker 2:Yeah, of round one indeed, but yeah, so they really roughed them up and sent them packing. You know. So the firefighters, though, they had to run off and they went and complained to their buddies at the police force and all their other orange order partners. You know how bad they got beat up and uh, so you know the the clowns thinking that this is over, like, look at these clowns, we just whooped their ass, right? You know, vice versa, the clown happy. So we got two sets of clowns here, people.
Speaker 2:Not the crime on the inside kind of, yeah, none of that stuff. But at the end of the day here the clowns still had to do another show. You know they were just at a night off. That's why they went to the brothel and they were gonna relax, end up thumping on some firemen, thumping on some whatnot, headed back to the circus, got a good night's rest, presumably, and then did their performance. Well, partway through the performance, the Orange Order and all these firefighters just like stormed the circus.
Speaker 1:Yeah, beating people up and like with a, you know, morbid sense of humor, the firefighters lit the clown's tents on fire, some of them. Yeah, it's like what a thing for firefighters to be lighting clown's tents ablaze.
Speaker 2:Good idea. It's a heck of a legacy to be known for this hook and ladder company, you know. So yeah, they did. There was no reported deaths, but you know, the only thing that was reported was that the circus performers were trying to escape, some even like just jumping into the river trying to get away, because it was like they got flanked or something. You know what I mean, like they're just doing their thing and then here comes a couple hundred orange people to, probably yelling in Gaelic and broken English, I don't know.
Speaker 1:But and then there's a story of even the Well, the mayor did show up, but that he even saved a clown's life by grabbing an axe out of a fireman's hand. It's unclear if that's entirely true, but the mayor did show up. That's the only thing that probably kept anyone from being killed. Yeah, Was he showed up and was just like okay, I know that this is not good for tourism, guys.
Speaker 2:Yeah, or maybe depends on what kind of tourist you're looking for, right, but this thing was so out of hand that, yeah, the mayor got like ran over there because they couldn't. The way they ended up stopping it was by calling in a militia group, because when the police were called in, they, yeah, because when the police were called in, they excuse me they either joined in or just sat there, kind of deal.
Speaker 1:So they had to have a local militia group which would be like that day's you know army reserve or whatnot, I suppose, come in there yeah, because another thing like you know what they call the people who really like ran stuff in the orange order, people that just had carte blanche for anything the corporation.
Speaker 2:Oh my goodness.
Speaker 1:So they were the ones who were running Toronto basically. So the mayor had to like band together you know misfits like unofficial militia to fight like the people who were really running shit.
Speaker 2:No, that's a thing, man. Yeah, and then so they weren't. They weren't going to prosecute any of these firefighters for this crazy act. I'm sure some of the public got hurt within this as well, and it's just insane. Everybody's sick of it, and this is what began the dismantling of the corporation, which I'm sure still existed in parts, late afterwards, you know, because that's just how corruption really works. It doesn't, doesn't typically just go away, I guess, especially if you leave the same people in place, right?
Speaker 1:No, we swear we'll be good next time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, Anyway. What a bunch of clowns. I'm glad our firemen are better these days. I actually think firemen are pretty legit Police. We're looking at you sometimes, you know, but that's just America, and Canada actually doesn't have a very good reputation for their Mounties. So these are things, people I don't know. Owen, what the heck do you think? What do you think of this mess? It was just like we just regurgitated all this learning so fast. Well, yeah, think. What do you think of?
Speaker 1:this mess, it was just like we just regurgitated all this, this learning so fast. Well, yeah, just I think it was probably about a year ago. You sent me this article and I was just like what the like? Where did you? I certainly have not heard of such madness. I'm not up on toronto, his circuit history, or or riot history for that matter, but still, I was just like history, or riot history for that matter.
Speaker 1:But still I was just like what an interesting. Yeah, the video I watched was called the History Guy. Who did it? Yeah, he started it. What's up? A fireman and a clown walk into a brothel. Sounds like a joke, right, you know. It's like whew, what an interesting story.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, that's a thing. So people from Toronto Owen are called.
Speaker 1:Torontonians, I just call them Canadian. Yeah, no, I feel you Torontonians is stupid.
Speaker 2:It sounds forced. Yeah, we're just going to start calling them T-words. I know where that came from oh, I get it. Yeah, oh, you're from Toronto. Damn, you're a T-Bird, huh? All right, see if it catches on. All you folks out there from you know our Canadian listeners start calling your Toronto people T-Birds and just see where it goes. I don't know, it may not go anywhere. If it does, you heard it here first, right, yeah, exactly, give us some credit. Hashtag I tell stories. Does that still work, owen? I?
Speaker 1:don't know. I am unclear, yeah.
Speaker 2:On lots of things. But yeah, toronto's an interesting. You know that Canada is a pretty diverse city. They did explain in the beginning of this Canada's a city, now Shut up country, but toronto and quebec I feel one of them like brags that they're one of the most diverse cities in the world. I just can't recall. I do know that they kind of are. They they really did uh, taking open books. They're still pretty open with their immigration. From what I understand, I I don't know uh, canada doesn't seem like such a bad government at times for a government. The only thing I would like to see Canada do and I'm talking to you, canada, prime minister guy is to treat your indigenous folks a little better. That's about it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's probably about every country, yeah.
Speaker 2:All over the globe. No, that's a thing, yeah, and I'm not even trying to Canada, bash Elbows up Canada, I'm with you on all this stuff.
Speaker 1:So, nonetheless, we're pro-American hat and maple syrup.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I like Canada, whatever, I wish I could go there. I used to be mad about that, that I'm not allowed in Canada, but eh, whatever, I guess I can go to a lot of other places, and although you guys do have the only place in the world, you have a whole province that speaks Gaelic I think I'll just skip that and go right to Scotland, because I'm allowed there.
Speaker 1:Well, what we could do. I believe I'm allowed in Canada and I may find otherwise upon reaching the border, but since cannabis is legal on both sides, we could go up there, roll a blunt and I could stand on the Canadian side and pass it to you on US turf.
Speaker 2:All right, sounds like a plan On that note everybody. I hope everybody out there has a good day.
Speaker 1:Much love everybody. I hope everybody out there has a good day. Much love everybody, thank you.
