| Beasts and Ballyhoo, The Menagerie Men of Somers by Terry Ariano, continued, page 2 |
| Town of Somers History |
| Timeline - Elephant Hotel - Hachaliah Bailey - Menageries - Wright-Reis Homestead - Historic Properties Somers Historical Society Home Page - Somers History Page |
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(7) contract in SHS archives
(8) R.W. Vail,
(9) Thayer, Annals, I, 55.
(10) Thayer, “The Elephant in America before 1840�, 21.
(11) Advertisements, collection of the Somers Historical Society.
(12) R.W. Vail
(13) in the SHS collections
(14) Thayer, “The Elephant in America before 1840,� 22.
____________
(7) contract in SHS archives
(8) R.W. Vail,
(9) Thayer, Annals, I, 55.
(10) Thayer, “The Elephant in America before 1840�, 21.
(11) Advertisements, collection of the Somers Historical Society.
(12) R.W. Vail
(13) in the SHS collections
(14) Thayer, “The Elephant in America before 1840,� 22.
Old Bet’s skeleton was recovered, mounted
and exhibited in New York City at 301 Broadway in
April of 1817. Later her hide was preserved and
exhibited at the American Museum, near present
City Hall in New York, in 1821.(11) The New York
Evening Post of November 26 announced that â
€œthe museum has the whole hide of the Elephant
who was wontonly shot in the town of Berwick as
she with her keepers was passing from Boston to
Maine. The animal was Known by the name of Bet.
She was considered one of the most docile an
tractable of her race, but she fell by the hand of a
ruffian. She is now put up in as good a style as it is
possible to expect, considering her immense size.â
€�(12) It was this same Museum that P.T. Barnum
acquired in the next decade. Regarding the fate of
Old Bet’s skeleton and hide, they undoubtedly
succumbed in one of the fires that plagued Barnum
in his later museum and circus ventures.
Hachaliah Bailey, undeterred, proceeded to import
two more elephants. In 1817 he and two partners,
brother-in-law Isaac Purdy and George Brunn,
purchased an eleven-year-old female who came to
be called Betty, or Little Bet. She was leased, in
1823, to Edward Finch of Somers who successfully
traveled the country with her.
and exhibited in New York City at 301 Broadway in
April of 1817. Later her hide was preserved and
exhibited at the American Museum, near present
City Hall in New York, in 1821.(11) The New York
Evening Post of November 26 announced that â
€œthe museum has the whole hide of the Elephant
who was wontonly shot in the town of Berwick as
she with her keepers was passing from Boston to
Maine. The animal was Known by the name of Bet.
She was considered one of the most docile an
tractable of her race, but she fell by the hand of a
ruffian. She is now put up in as good a style as it is
possible to expect, considering her immense size.â
€�(12) It was this same Museum that P.T. Barnum
acquired in the next decade. Regarding the fate of
Old Bet’s skeleton and hide, they undoubtedly
succumbed in one of the fires that plagued Barnum
in his later museum and circus ventures.
Hachaliah Bailey, undeterred, proceeded to import
two more elephants. In 1817 he and two partners,
brother-in-law Isaac Purdy and George Brunn,
purchased an eleven-year-old female who came to
be called Betty, or Little Bet. She was leased, in
1823, to Edward Finch of Somers who successfully
traveled the country with her.
| NOTICE, The New York Post, 1817, Reproduction, concerning the post mortem exhibition of Old Bet ‘s skeleton at the American Museum, New York SHS 89.1.2 & 4 Gift of Carrie Brown Rorer |
Hachaliah Bailey, undeterred, proceeded to
import two more elephants. In 1817 he and two
partners, brother-in-law Isaac Purdy and George
Brunn, purchased an eleven-year-old female who
came to be called Betty, or Little Bet. She was
leased, in 1823, to Edward Finch of Somers who
successfully traveled the country with her. While
leased to Gerard Crane of Somers and his
partner John June of North Salem in 1826, Little
Bet fell to a similar fate as Old Bet, and was shot
in Chepachet, Rhode Island by a group of young
men apparently out for some sport. Also in 1817,
Hachaliah and his two partners paid $8000 for a
six-year-old male elephant, named Columbus for
the ship on which he was transported. He was
exhibited in Boston on December 13th according
to this ad in the Columbian Centinel (13) , which
claims it to be the only elephant in America at the
time. Columbus later was sold or leased to other
traveling shows, including J.R and William Howe
of North Salem, and James Raymond of Carmel,
both New York towns near Somers. Columbus
lived until 1851, when he fell through a bridge in
North Adams, Massachusetts.(14)
import two more elephants. In 1817 he and two
partners, brother-in-law Isaac Purdy and George
Brunn, purchased an eleven-year-old female who
came to be called Betty, or Little Bet. She was
leased, in 1823, to Edward Finch of Somers who
successfully traveled the country with her. While
leased to Gerard Crane of Somers and his
partner John June of North Salem in 1826, Little
Bet fell to a similar fate as Old Bet, and was shot
in Chepachet, Rhode Island by a group of young
men apparently out for some sport. Also in 1817,
Hachaliah and his two partners paid $8000 for a
six-year-old male elephant, named Columbus for
the ship on which he was transported. He was
exhibited in Boston on December 13th according
to this ad in the Columbian Centinel (13) , which
claims it to be the only elephant in America at the
time. Columbus later was sold or leased to other
traveling shows, including J.R and William Howe
of North Salem, and James Raymond of Carmel,
both New York towns near Somers. Columbus
lived until 1851, when he fell through a bridge in
North Adams, Massachusetts.(14)
After the success of Hachaliah Bailey in exhibiting Old Bet, many local individuals sought to become involved
in importing and exhibiting exotic animals. The resulting success of these efforts led to a thriving â
€œmenagerieâ€� business for many of the farming and drover’s families in Somers. Gerard and
Thaddeus Crane, Benjamin and Lewis Lent, and members of the Brown, Purdy, Wright, Finch, and Ganung
families, to name a few, were involved with aspects of the profitable menagerie business.
in importing and exhibiting exotic animals. The resulting success of these efforts led to a thriving â
€œmenagerieâ€� business for many of the farming and drover’s families in Somers. Gerard and
Thaddeus Crane, Benjamin and Lewis Lent, and members of the Brown, Purdy, Wright, Finch, and Ganung
families, to name a few, were involved with aspects of the profitable menagerie business.
| The Elephant Columbus, The Columbian Centinel,1817 Notice of importation SHS 82.5 Gift of John Walters |