In 1891, Richmond hosted the ‘Greatest Show on Earth’
In the late 19th Century, traveling circuses were the most popular entertainment in rural America, and the Ringling Bros. show and its elephants were at the head of the class. Ringling visited Richmond in 1891, one of two circuses in Ray County the same week. (Library of Congress photo)
from: richmond-daily news
By Linda Emley
April 29, 2012
Richmond, Missouri--In 1882, five brothers traveled around the state of Wisconsin and performed juggling acts and skits in small town city halls. They used the name Ringling Brothers’ Classic and Comic Concert Company.
On May 19, 1884, they joined forces with Yankee Robinson and took their one-ring circus act across the Midwest. The Yankee Robinson and Ringling Brothers Circus was short lived because Yankee died while the circus was in Jefferson, Iowa on Sept 4, 1884. But as they say in the land of show biz, “The show must go on” and it did because the Ringling Brothers Circus became one of the largest circus acts in America by the late 1880s.
It took teamwork to run a circus and each brother had his own duty. Alfred was in charge of advance publicity and put up colorful animal posters to advertise the upcoming circus; Al was in charge of the acts; Charles was the show producer and manager; Otto took care of the money, and John was in charge of transportation. The youngest brother, Henry, did not become part of the show until Otto died in 1911.
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