James E. Strates came to America in 1909 and, like many immigrants, worked at a number of odd jobs. He eventually became a professional wrestler working under the name "Young Strangler Lewis." He grappled on the wrestling circuit, and by the end of 1919 Lewis was one of the top contenders for the world middleweight championship and one of the top mat promoters of his time.

At the end of the 1932 season, Strates decided to change the name of Southern Tier Shows to James E. Strates Shows. He also purchased the show’s first five flatbed railroad cars and 17 trucks to carry his equipment. From this season on, Strates purchased five flatbed cars each year until his train totaled 40 cars in length. During the 1930s, travel by railroad was the trend of the carnival industry, but today Strates Shows is the only remaining railroad carnival in the United States. In 1997, the 61-car train transported equipment to 15 locations and covered more than 6,500 miles on the Eastern Seaboard.

On December 22, 1945, disaster struck. That winter the show was being stored in a tobacco barn in Mullins, South Carolina when fire engulfed the barn. The only usable piece of equipment remaining was the train. With an insurance policy payment of $250,000, Mr. Strates made the daring move to rebuild his show in time for the start of the 1946 season. Only 3-1/2 months after the disastrous fire, James E. Strates Shows was rebuilt. With the help of the City and citizens of Mullins, South Carolina, and show agents scouring the country from coast to coast buying rides, trucks, lumber, generators and everything else that was needed, Strates was able to rebuild and maintain his fair commitments that year.

By 1953, Strates Shows was the fourth largest carnival in the nation and was contracted to play several major fairs on the Eastern Seaboard. To accommodate the growing carnival and great show train, Strates relocated the show's winter quarters in 1955 to a 40-acre site in Taft, Florida, where over a mile of railroad siding was laid for the train. Strates Shows continues to use this property as its winter quarters and calls Central Florida its home.

In 1956, E. James, son of founder James E., came back to the show where he joined the management team under the supervision of his father. With him was his young wife Phyllis. Three short years later, his father suffered a stroke in his office while playing the York Fair in Danville, Virginia. On Sunday, October 11, 1959, James E. Strates passed away at the age of 65. After his death, E. James took over as president and manager of the carnival.

As president, E. James led the company through a challenging management transition and proceeded to build one of the strongest show routes on the Eastern Seaboard. To keep pace with the continual growth and change in times, he became very innovative. During his early years, he led the industry with the development of a centralized ticket system, the introduction of cooperative promotions, and the first sale of advance tickets among carnivals.

During the summer of 1972, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Strates Shows was caught by fierce weather conditions that caused the Susquehanna River to flood. Fortunately, the rides were protected on high ground, but the train, the company's major mode of transportation, was completely submerged. In order to make the show’s next date, rides were moved by truck to the next location while a crew was left behind to clean the train. It took three weeks to ready the train, washing away mud and debris with fire hoses and removing trees that were tangled together on the top of the flat cars.

As the business progressed, all five of E. James and Phyllis's children joined the company, each finding their own niche. Susan Magid, the oldest of the Strates children, is the Insurance Director. Sibyl Strates Doremus is Marketing Director. James E. and John head up the Operations Department, and Jay is Administrative Director. 1993 marked the first year that all five Strates children worked together in the family business and they continue to do so today.