This would have never happened without the support of Michael Schroeder, a fantastic magician and good friend from Oshkosh who introduced me to John H. Oaks. Michael's own on-stage escape performances unknowingly mirror many of Oaks'.

The background music features period-appropriate ragtime compositions sourced from ragsrag.com. The pieces include "Maple Leaf Rag," "The Entertainer," and others. These represent the popular music of Oaks' performing era and could have been the soundtrack to vaudeville theaters where he performed.

In 1912, I found records of Mighty Oaks performing on May 21 in Brainerd, MN. However, after the near-drowning incident on June 6 in Breckenridge, MN, it is reported in at least two sources that Oaks had to cancel three days of shows in Brainerd, MN to recover. For this reason, I have listed Brainerd, MN twice in the table.

The sensationalized account of Olive Oaks' death incorrectly stated that John H. Oaks was seven years old, when he was actually twelve when his sister was electrocuted.

As of December 1911, Oaks' vaudeville manager was Ralph Levinson.

The date on John H. Oaks' headstone is incorrect (September 7, 1917) due to a computer error at the cemetery when the family likely replaced the headstone.

Heaney's witness account, while uncorroborated by other sources, provides the most detailed eyewitness description of Oaks' stage performance and remains consistent with documented elements of his act from other sources.

Oaks' 1915 autobiographical reflection that appeared in Everyweek Magazine contains many claims regarding performances that I was unable to verify or locate supporting information for.

References