Some of the most unfathomable deeds and physical feats were performed by the strongmen of sideshow. The title of strongest man in the country now belonged to him.Around 1888 Cyr bought a tavern on Rue Notre-Dame in Montreal, where he did a few feats of strength to amuse his customers. He also purportedly lifted a 500-pound weight with one finger and, in a stunning publicity stunt, pushed a freight car up an incline. Louis CYR, born in St. Cyprien de Napierville, Quebec, still holds many records for feats of strength since his death in 1912. On another occasion in a saloon, he jumped in the air and kicked the ceiling. He was carefree and chubby, and his pink cheeks and long blond curls gave him a babyish look that made him the butt of many jokes. While still a teenager, he took on an English boxer, who claimed he was the champion of Canada, and knocked him out with one punch. Not all Human Marvels are unique in appearance. But Louis Cyr’s mother was an exception. The strongman also worked for a few years for the St.-Jean de-Matha and Montreal police departments, during which time an American promoter took notice of his amazing feats of strength. It was only following his demise that Elmer amounted to much of anything, when his corpse became famous and the stuff of urban legends. (5) Barrel of cement standing on end, put on shoulder by the use of one hand only: 141 kilos (approximately 310½ pounds). He was dubbed ‘The Strongest Man in History’ for his amazing physical strength and today there is a district of Montreal named Louis-Cyr in his honor. His feats of strength included lifting a horse off the ground, lifting a weight of more than 500 pounds with his finger and pushing a train car up a hill. CYR, LOUIS (baptized Cyprien-Noé, which he used until about 1880), farm-hand, lumberjack, weightlifter, policeman, and strong man; b. He was the habitants’ great hero. Cyr did not disappoint in this regard. Delamarre was deemed too small but his feats of … At the height of his fame, on Jan. 19, 1899 in front of 5,000 people, including the Prince of Wales, at the Royal Aquarium Theatre in London, Louis Cyr performed his greatest feats. NOTE: Sixteen men mounted the platform which stood supported on two trestles.Pullum neglected to mention Cyr’s pressing of his now famed ‘Cyr’s claim as the world’s strongest man stems from his 1895 backlift in Boston. His fame spread throughout the land.

Came to Montreal and joined the Police. At the age of twelve Louis was a lumberjack and stories of his strength became legendary amongst his peers and coworkers. Cyr won an easy victory, lifting a 218-pound barbell with one hand (to Michaud’s 158 pounds) and a weight of 2,371 pounds on his back (to his opponent’s 2,071). 10 Oct. 1863 in Saint-Cyprien (Napierville), Lower Canada, second of the 17 children of Pierre Cyr, a lumberjack and farmer, and Philomène Berger; m. 16 Jan. 1882 Mélina Comtois in Saint-Jean-de-Matha, Que., and they had a daughter, and a son who died in infancy; d. 10 Nov. 1912 in Montreal and was buried 14 November in Saint-Jean-de-Matha.© 2003-2020 University of Toronto/Université Laval

The news appeared in the press the following day. During the 1898 Circus Season, Canadian Strongman Louis Cyr and his assistant/protege’ Horace Barre performed their unique feats of strength all around the country in the John Robinson Circus. He exhibited back lifts … Born in St. Cyprien, south of Montreal, in 1863,According to subsequent myth, it was only when he hit his late teens that Cyr, and those around him, began to take notice of his strength. The heavy work added to his strength and size. And his attire enhanced his spectacular physique. In 1882, he returned to his home in Quebec and performed various feats, including the lifting of a platform carrying 18 men. It began in New Brunswick, but lasted only a few months. He was warmly received by Franco-Americans, who were already familiar with his exploits. Louis, perhaps the most famous of all the CYR’s, both living and dead, is even today considered to have been the strongest man that ever lived! Louis Cyr developed his great strength and physique early in life. At age 16, he was six foot four inches and had already established himself as a man of great strength and agility. At the height of his fame, on Jan. 19, 1899 in front of 5,000 people, including the Prince of Wales, at the Royal Aquarium Theatre in London, Louis Cyr performed his greatest feats. There is also a park, the Parc Louis-Cyr, named after Louis and a statue of ‘The Strongest Man in History’ has stood in the Place des Hommes-Forts – ‘Strongman’s Square’ – since 1970.The cause of his herculean strength is still unknown but during his remarkable lifetime Louis never backed down from a challenge and he was undefeated in Canada and abroad.In life Elmer McCurdy wasn’t anything special. Like Jos Montferrand, he worked in the lumber camps north of Montreal and Quebec City, and others. He was born in 1933 and performed all his feats of strength BEFORE steroids in huge amounts were used by strongmen beginning in the early 1960s. These are the feats which Louis Cyr accomplished in London on January 19, 1892. And as he performed them, one by one, away went any chance of meeting with Sandow. AND his back lift exceeded Cyr’s back lift by a 2,000 lbs. Then Canada’s strongest man, Michaud challenged Cyr to best him in a boulder lifting competition. Louis Cyr was the first truly professional urban Quebec athlete – an urban strongman. He was idolized by an adoring public. While touring the world Louis once squatted a platform holding 18 men.