The first circus in America was started by Nathan A. Howes and Aaron
Turner under a top canvas in 1826. Previous to that time others had
shows in frame buildings and some simply with side canvas in hotel
yards, and in theaters in New York City. The full tent circus
originated in the towns of Somers and North Salem, Westchester County,
New York, and Southeast and Carmel, Putnam County, New York. The
original showmen were Raymond, Titus, June, Quick, Angevine, Crane,
Smith and Nathans, and so far as I have been able to ascertain, June,
Titus and Angevine were the first to import wild animals on their own
account.
Previous to this the Raymond and Titus companies were in the habit of
purchasing wild animals from sea captains who, in a spirit of
speculation, would bring them to our shores. There existed a great
rivalry between these companies and they soon became possessed of more
animals than they needed. They toured the East during the period from
about 1826 to 1834, with but indifferent success, and then Titus &
Company took their show to England, where John June had preceded them.
The circus and menagerie in those days were separate and distinct
attractions and, while the menagerie had the greater drawing power, it
was only exhibited in the daytime. In the case of an opposition circus
the attendance would generally split up, but would result in a benefit
to each attraction, for the same crowd which gazed at the menagerie
during the day would also be able to enjoy the circus which exhibited
at night. It was not until 1851 that a circus and a menagerie were
exhibited together, at one price of admission and owned by the same
proprietors.
At that time George F. Bailey induced Turner, who was his
father-in-law, to purchase an elephant and some other animals from
Titus & Company, and others from incoming vessels at New York, Boston
and Charleston. Mr. Bailey had six cages built, and these, together
with the elephants, he added to the circus in order to reach the
church-going element which would go to see the "menagerie only," but
invariably remained, when the band commenced to play, "because the
children wanted to see the circus."
To Mr. George F. Bailey must also be given the credit of devising a
tank on wheels in which could be exhibited the hippopotamus. This
animal proved a wonderful drawing card, and was then advertised as it
sometimes is to-day as "the blood-sweating Behemoth of Holy Writ." This
animal made several men wealthy. L. B. Lent, the well-known circus man,
afterwards hired it and paid for its use no less than twenty-five per
cent of the gross receipts of his show. From the death of this
hippopotamus until 1873 there was none in the country; but in that year
Mr. Barnum and I secured one from Reiche Brothers, whose men had
captured it from a school on the river Nile. It cost us $10,000, and we
had previously spent several thousand dollars in sending our own men to
Egypt on a similar errand that proved fruitless.