The Great American
Water Shows
Aka
The Great American
Water Circus
compiled by Teresa Martin Klaiber Oct. 2012
The circus
is always full of spectacles that leave us wide eyed and breathless. But one of the most amazing shows winter quartered,
for a few years, just across the river in Ironton, Lawrence County, Ohio from
1902 until about 1905.
The Great
American Water Circus was a floating show.
The show travelled along the Ohio River going up the Alleghany River [at
least one trip] and along the Mississippi. Sometime between the 1903 and 1904 season it
changed the name from the Great American Water Circus to the Great American
Water Shows.[i]
The show was described as two or three barges
bound together with a large tent that covered the entire length, depending on
what news articles are read. Several
advance ads stated that the tent was 60x175 feet. Still a lot of canvas over barges tied
together in any formation. The tent was touted to seat 2000 people. At least one article I read said that it
seated about 1000. The show cost adults
25 cents and children under eight 15 cents.
Most
newspaper articles reference it as a two ring circus. According to descriptions
the show had 14 parade wagons and 40 horses[ii] as well as a dog show at one point. The show had approximately forty-two people.[iii]
I found a grainy
photograph of the show docked at Marietta, Ohio in the December 1958 issue of Bandwagon.
The photograph is the property of the Circus Historical Society. The best quality photograph is the property
of the Public
Library of Cincinnati with their wonderful river collection. But I truly got excited when I found that
they have a picture
of the inside of the tent showing seating, horses and pony. I
am left wondering if perhaps that is the owner in the foreground with a smoke
in his mouth. The library notes that it
is from the {Frederick} Way Collection.
William P. Newman was the mastermind and owner of
this floating circus. He was born in
Ironton, Lawrence County, Ohio 27 March 1872[iv],
the son of Valentine [born Germany] and Mary [born Massachusetts]. He was one of at least seven children. Valentine Newman was a lumber merchant and by
the time William was fourteen he left home and tried his hand at several
jobs. He married 25 November 1896 Carrie Haller and the family can be
found renting in Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio in the 1900 census. His occupation at this time is listed as
superintendent. But, it does not clarify
what he is supervising.
There were
many show boats plying the waters of the Ohio that stopped in Portsmouth,
Ironton and Ashland. They had theatrical
stage shows and music. How Newman visualized and created this unique circus and
convinced performers to bring their animals onboard is a wonder.
The
overhead for a show of this type must have been high. Besides barges, a steamboat was required to
push all of the trappings up and down the waterways. In 1903 the Cricket was one of the boats
utilized. The first towboat that this
writer found mention of being utilized for the show was the J.C. Reynolds in July 1902 where it
began its journey from Liverpool, Ohio.[v] In 1904 the Katie Mc brought the show into Indiana. River news was reported in detail by
newspaper produced in Brookville, Indiana called The Sun. There is no doubt
that the show struggled. In 1904 “Col.
Newman” talked with the owner of the Floating
Palace while in Evansville. Rumors
were circulating that the show was then out of business but the news corrected the rumor stating the show was
reorganizing and had even bought a calliope.[vi]
Newman’s
wife was the cashier for the show. R. E. Stroup resigned his position, as
advertising manager, with the Portsmouth
Times in April 1903[vii]
to become Great American Water Circus advance man.
Stroup had only held the position with the paper for a month. The Portsmouth
Times had announced his taking a position with them after leaving the
“Ironton newspapers.”[viii]
The show
left winter quarters and usually made the next appearance at Ashland then
Catlettsburg if heading up river.
Newman’s
father Valentine died 5 November 1909 and was buried in Woodland Cemetery in
Ironton.[ix]
By 1910 the Newman’s had moved back to Bucyrus, Crawford County, Ohio. They resided with Carrie’s parents Jacob and
Mary [nee Schaffer] Haller on Walnut Street.
William P. gave his occupation as “none.” Jacob Haller was an engineer at the county
courthouse at this time. Jacob Haller
was originally a tanner, born in Lycoming County, PA.[x]
By 1920 The
Newman’s had their own place and W. P. gave his occupation as manager of a
bakery. In 1913 they had a daughter
named Mary. By 1940, still living in
Bucyrus, William gives his occupation as a salesman of step ladders.
Census
records can be a bit deceiving, leaving huge gaps in a person’s life. The
Cleveland Plain Dealer gave more information about his life in
entertainment in his obituary 12 June 1950.
The article stated that he was one of Bucyrus first motion picture
theater owners. It went on to describe a
partnership in billboard advertising for many years. Besides his wife, and only daughter
[Mrs. Robert W. Ferguson], a brother, Louis also resided in Crawford
County.
Carrie, widowed,
lived until her death, 29 January 1967, in a care facility in Bucyrus, Crawford
County, Ohio.
[i]
Breckenridge News, Cloverport, KY, 29 June 1904
[ii]
Rain, D.A. The Water Book. A Compendium of Facts and Fables 1993
[iii]
Memoirs of the Lower Ohio Valley, Vol. 1, page 135
[iv]
Ohio, Lawrence County Birth Records
[v]
Evening Bulletin, Maysville, Ohio July 18 1902
[vi]
Breckenridge News, Cloverport, KY 13 July 1904
[vii]
Ironton Register, Ironton, Ohio 3 April 1903
[viii]
Portsmouth Times, Portsmouth, OH 7 Mar 1903
[ix] Episcopal
Church Burial Records, Ironton, Ohio http://www.lawrencecountyohio.com/churches/records/episcopal/Burials_1902_1911.htm
[x] History
of Crawford County, Ohio. Baskin and Battey, 1881. PP 749.
