STONEBORO —
Did you ever hear the one about the guy who fought a gorilla at The Great Stoneboro Fair?
It might sound too crazy to be true, but Dale McFadden has been sharing his story for years and has yet to grow tired of recounting that day in 1959.
"Back then I was strong as a bull and quick as lightning, but that gorilla was faster," he said Monday.
McFadden, 70, of Findley Township, was 17 at the time and living in Nectarine in Venango County. The caged gorilla was a side show of sorts, with the trainer urging fair-goers to fight the gorilla to win cash.
"Nobody would go in," said McFadden, who couldn't remember the name of the trainer or gorilla, which weighed about 130 pounds to his 115.
After working up "a little too much courage" he credits to a few beers and typical teen-boy behavior of wanting to show off, McFadden decided he was up for the challenge.
He didn't feel prepared to defend himself against the gorilla, which was muzzled and wearing boxing gloves, with a crowd of paying onlookers gathered around the cage.
"I didn't know he was going to box," said McFadden, who thought they were going to wrestle.
One round was enough to leave McFadden with a bloody lip after the animal punched him in the head. The gorilla also kicked at him and left him with scrapes across his knuckles. "I did get my five dollars," he said of sticking it out for a few minutes; he would have walked away with $50 if he knocked over the gorilla.
McFadden, who thinks he might have bought more beer with his winnings, received first aid treatment along with the trainer, who was scratched by the gorilla after removing the gloves.
He recalls the gorilla coming back to the fair for several more years before an animal rights group shut it down, saying the caged fights were considered cruel to animals.
"He entertains the grandkids with the story," said McFadden's wife of 43 years, Judy. They have two children and four grandchildren and plan on attending the fair this year.
Published Aug. 22, 2012, in Allied News. Pick up a copy of 201 A Erie St., Grove City.
Local News
Related Photos
-
Dale McFadden of Findley Township shows off his horse Fury when he was about 17, around the time he fought a gorilla at The Great Stoneboro Fair in 1959. Contributed
Discussion
What's fair when fighting an ape?
- Local News
-
-
'Hiding in plain sight'
What's in a name?
A lot, when you're trying to hide your Jewish background during the Holocaust to escape certain death. -
Joden wins Vegas cover with vintage coral jewelry
Joden Jewelers in downtown Grove City is making headlines among its peers -- again.
-
Laying green groundwork
Award-winning green architect and Slippery Rock University graduate Robert Kobet returned to his alma mater Thursday to share his success stories and help lay the same groundwork for SRU.
-
Businesses take stock after blaze
Business owners affected by Wednesday's fire in Sandy Lake are in the throes of how they will rebuild their livelihoods.
-
SR library gets grant, eyes expansion
Slippery Rock Community Library has expanded its inventory – but is still in desperate need of more room.
-
Pause to notice positivity, art
"Tea Pot" and "Industrial Arts" are the two newest fixtures in Olde Town Grove City.
-
Local doc now offering improved ankle surgery here
A local foot and ankle specialist is the only physician in the area trained to perform an advanced ankle replacement procedure that has improved the quality of life for several patients.
-
THIS JUST IN
Slippery Rock resident Mark Beres, who practiced optometry in New Castle, has been jailed on federal child porn charges.
-
Survivors' stories
Rape and sexual assault among U.S. military members have become an epidemic, and director Kirby Dick felt the need to share the survivors' stories with the world in a documentary that continues to gain attention.
-
Support the kids at May 4 benefit
A benefit to support the Food For Kids Backpack Project is being held Saturday, May 4, at Grove City Country Club. Cocktails will be served at 5:30 p.m. with dinner at 6:30 p.m. The evening includes Chinese, silent and live auctions.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Conn. Commuter Trains Collide; 60 Go to Hospital
Coffee Run Leads to Hatchet Hitchhiker Arrest
Fmr. IRS Head Insists No Politics in Targeting
CDC: Fecal Bacteria Common in Swimming Pools
$1 Million in Jewels Stolen at Cannes Film Fest
NM Mom Chases Down Child Abductor
Raw: Crash Sends Car Into Fla. Pool
Raw: Obama Sits Down With Elementary Kids
Raw: Bear Falls From Tampa Tree
Ousted IRS Chief: Errors Not Caused by Politics
Terror Suspect Due in Court in Idaho Friday
Raw: Driver Ejected From Truck, Over Bridge
Could Tobacco Be the Next Biofuel?
Wash. State Releases Draft Rules for Legal Pot
Dying Man's Blinks Lead to Murder Conviction
Officials: Texas Tornado Likely Had 200 Mph Wind
Brothers Arrested in NOLA Parade Shooting
Raw: School Bus Crash Injures Five Children
Quick Response Saved Baby on Phila. Train Tracks
One Million Evacuated As Cyclone Hits Bangladesh
