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| Rickett's Circus, Baltimore (1799) Courtesy: Maryland Gazette newspaper |
This week marks the annual arrival of the circus to the Charm City which is historically evidenced by a parade of pachyderms and other beautiful animals set on a course through nearby streets to the Baltimore Arena for 10 days of performances. While this year's circus is that of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey company, other famous and not so famous companies have traveled to perform in Baltimore for well over 229 years.
According to Circus Historical Society, the earliest documented circus-like performance in Baltimore was Pool's Circus (June 23 and August 27, 1785) although, according to the Annals of the American Circus, Vol 1, author Stuart Thayer, performances like this prior to 1793 were not true circuses in the accepted sense.
A few years later, an equestrian Englishman by the name of John Bill Ricketts accomplished 'feats of horsemanship' by performing the first U.S. circus in Philadelphia (1793) for many early Americans, to include President George Washington, followed by later venues in New York's Battery at the southern tip of Manhattan (1795). A few years following, Ricketts' Equestrian Circus was advertised for a short stay in Annapolis as early as May 23, 1799 in the Maryland Gazette. The advertisement states it had performed in Baltimore, though the actual location of the circus grounds has not been determined due to lack of documentation for his Charm City performances.
Early circuses in Baltimore were not as large and the grounds on which they set their temporary homes to operate needn't be large spaces. Some of the earliest newspaper documented circuses were held at was the edge of Baltimore town, near the corner of Eutaw and German (now Redwood) Streets. Rufus Welch (1800-1856) and William Delevan (1804-1873) were pioneer circus and menagerie proprietors. Welch was a partner with J. Purdy Brown during the 1830s when "the big top" was in its infancy.
In the early to mid 1800s, many circus troops would travel along the U.S. coastline or upon rivers in steamer ships which were sometimes caught in storms and or seafaring collisions. Newspapers of the day would report on elephants drowning at sea and rhinoceros cages falling overboard in rivers, opening, and them being at large.
In July 1839 and 1842 Welch & Delevan, which according to circus historian Stuart Thayer was a smaller show, visited Baltimore for several weeks and according to Baltimore Sun articles in both July 1830 and July 1842 it was reported "the Giraffe is the tallest attraction we ever did see." Despite drawing crowds of only a thousand or two, there was a magic to their appeal to old and young alike; no matter how wretched their performance, the newspapers heralded them with enthusiasm, and the people paid their annual tribute. Throughout the Civil War and until 1900 these smaller shows would exhibit at a circus house on Front Street near the current Phenix Shot Tower.
As Baltimore circuses began drawing crowds in the tens of thousands, their companies grew as well and needed to be as close to active railroads of the time so that the performance troupes and animals could be easily transported from city to city. On September 25, 1873, P.T. Barnum had only been touring his new "Greatest Show on Earth" for two years when Barnum's Circus and Menagerie arrived into Baltimore setting up in Belair-Edison near the current Baltimore Cemetary - 12,000 circus goers attended nearly each day.
By May 1894, P.T. Barnum had joined with George F. Bailey such that their Barnum and Bailey Circus was set up their three ring circus tent to perform at the corners of Greenmount and North Avenues for next several years during the spring, arriving to town on the Pennsylvania Railroad after having left performances in Washington DC.
Grounds at the corner of York Road and 29th Street were used from 1902 to 1907 to accommodate the Forepaugh Sells Brothers, and Barnum & Bailey Circuses. The Gentry Brothers Trained Animal Show often used lots at the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and North Streets.
By 1907, open fields at current day Eastern Avenue near Patterson Park were beginning to be used for circus events such as the Ringling Brothers and a Col. William F. Cody (otherwise famously known as Buffalo Bill, or Wild Bill Cody) came to town in May of that year with his "Wild West Show" complete with reproduced indian battles and train holdups. Buffalo Bill performed at this location in May of 1907, 1910, and 1913.
The location near Patterson Park was used one last year, in 1914, when development forced circus venues to find open space north and west of the Baltimore downtown - between Riggs Avenue and Edmonson Avenue, east of Bentalou Street (current neighborhood of Edmonson Terraces, location of Mosher Elementary School). From May 1915 through 1930, circus trains from various companies such as Barney & Bailey, Polack Brothers, John Robinson, and Ringling Brothers arrived via the Pennsylvania Railroad followed in 4 or five trains loaded with elephants, leopards, bears, wolf hounds, and dogs accompanied by clowns and other circus performers. In 1927, even an equestrian seal and pigeons were part of the joined company of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey's circus.
By the 1930s, circuses were commanding crowds in the 30,000-40,000 range and by1943, the Boumi Temple Masons sponsored the Boumi Shrine Circus which they held at the 5th Regiment Armory performing to nearly 7,000 participants. World War II forced a hiatus of this venue until 1946.
In the 21st century, Baltimore has mostly hosted only the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Brothers Circus, usually at indoor arenas such as the 1st Mariner Arena. In 2008, the Baltimore Sun noted an interesting escape of three circus zebras that, having spotted a door ajar, found themselves in the bustle on Hopkins Place downtown. They were quickly corralled back to their circus home as part of an institution which continues to thrill children and adults alike for over 229 years here in Baltimore.
(Newspaper Articles Courtesy of the Baltimore Sun)
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| Col Rufus Welch, Proprietor of Welch & Delevan (Photo Courtesy: CircusHistory.org) |
In the early to mid 1800s, many circus troops would travel along the U.S. coastline or upon rivers in steamer ships which were sometimes caught in storms and or seafaring collisions. Newspapers of the day would report on elephants drowning at sea and rhinoceros cages falling overboard in rivers, opening, and them being at large.
In July 1839 and 1842 Welch & Delevan, which according to circus historian Stuart Thayer was a smaller show, visited Baltimore for several weeks and according to Baltimore Sun articles in both July 1830 and July 1842 it was reported "the Giraffe is the tallest attraction we ever did see." Despite drawing crowds of only a thousand or two, there was a magic to their appeal to old and young alike; no matter how wretched their performance, the newspapers heralded them with enthusiasm, and the people paid their annual tribute. Throughout the Civil War and until 1900 these smaller shows would exhibit at a circus house on Front Street near the current Phenix Shot Tower.
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| Barnum & Bailey Combined Show Elephant Train, (Photo Courtesy: TheCircusBlog) |
By May 1894, P.T. Barnum had joined with George F. Bailey such that their Barnum and Bailey Circus was set up their three ring circus tent to perform at the corners of Greenmount and North Avenues for next several years during the spring, arriving to town on the Pennsylvania Railroad after having left performances in Washington DC.
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| Photo: Courtesy PBS.org |
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| Mosher Elementary School, Location of old Circus Grounds (1915-1930) (Google Maps) |
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| Children at the Circus - Stealing a Peek under the Big Top, Greeting the Elephants (Baltimore Sun, 11May1925) |
By the 1930s, circuses were commanding crowds in the 30,000-40,000 range and by1943, the Boumi Temple Masons sponsored the Boumi Shrine Circus which they held at the 5th Regiment Armory performing to nearly 7,000 participants. World War II forced a hiatus of this venue until 1946.
In the 21st century, Baltimore has mostly hosted only the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Brothers Circus, usually at indoor arenas such as the 1st Mariner Arena. In 2008, the Baltimore Sun noted an interesting escape of three circus zebras that, having spotted a door ajar, found themselves in the bustle on Hopkins Place downtown. They were quickly corralled back to their circus home as part of an institution which continues to thrill children and adults alike for over 229 years here in Baltimore.
(Newspaper Articles Courtesy of the Baltimore Sun)
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