Born Joseph H. Huston, Sam J. Houston was born Feb. 14, 1869 in Anderson, Indiana, and died March 1, 1957 in Los Angeles. His parent’s owned the Huston Hotel in Winchester, WI. His father was in the Civil War and his mother died in a run away buggy accident. Houston was originally involved with the Gentry Dog and Pony Show. He then was involved with Otto Floto around 1905 and helped in the merger of the Sells Flotos Circus. He was close friends of the Bonfils family of the Denver Post . He eventually became known for his independent show which traveled the US and Mexico. He owned “Balto, The Dog who Saved Nome,” Cheetah, “The Pancho Villa Death Car,” etc. Sam Houston also worked in the silent picture industry, in the circus and as an independent showman. His daughter, Adonna was as much a partner as a daughter. She showed with him from 1926, when she ran away from a grandmother until his death in 1957. She was a stand in for Dorothy Lamour at one time, worked on Rose Parade floats, worked at Fairyland in Oakland, played the Palace as a child. They had several railroad cars that they used and they took them to Mexico and back. Sam provided the Hilton Sisters with music lessons and helped them out after they ran away from their manager. — Adapted from www.Sideshoworld.com