Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut

In 1851 Mr. Barnum purchased of William H. Noble, of Bridgeport, the undivided half of his late father's estate, consisting of fifty acres of land lying on the east side of the river, opposite the city of Bridgeport. They intended this as the nucleus of a new city, which they concluded could soon be built in consequence of many nat- ural advantages it possessed. In view of secur- ing this end, a clock company, in which Mr. Bar- num was a stockholder, was prevailed upon to transfer its establishment from the town of Litch- field to the new city. In addition to this it was proposed to transfer the entire business of the Jerome Clock Company of New Haven, to East liridgeport, and for this purpose Mr. Barnum lent that company money and notes to the amount of $1 10,000, with the positive assurance that this would be the extent of the company's call on him; but by peculiar management on the part of the company they soon had Mr. Barnum involved to the amount of over half a million dollars. Then they failed, and after absorbing all of Mr. Barnum's fortune they paid but from twelve to fifteen per cent of the company's obligations, while, in the end, they never removed to East Bridgeport. Mr. Barnum's extrication of himself from this gulf of obligation, by paying such a per- centage on the whole as could not be met by the sale of all his property at the time, was a finan- cial feat of the highest genius, energy and honor. Early in 1857 Mr. Barnum agam went to Europe, taking with him Gen. Tom Thumb, and also little Cordelia Howard and her parents, and traveled through 'England, Germany and Hol- land, experiencing with the little folks a most cordial and enthusiastic greeting all the way. It was soon after his return from this European tour that the beautiful "Iranistan" was de- stroyed by fire. Early in 1858 Mr. Barnum re- turned to England, taking Tom Thumb, and with some help to manage the exhibition through 1. COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Scotland and Wales, as well as elsewhere, he de- voted himself to the " lecture field," taking for his theme "The Art of Making Money", and by it he made money, hand over hand, and sent it home to apply on the clock enterprise. In 1859 he returned to the United States, and pushing on his museum found himself, in i860, within twenty thousand dollars of extinguishing the last claim from the old clock business. This he pro- vided for, and resumed the full control of his old museum. In i860 he built a new house in Bridgeport, on Fairfield avenue, about one hundred rods west of the site of " Iranistan," ■which was named " Lindencroft," in honor of Jenny Lind, and gave his attention anew to the building of his pet city. East Bridgeport. This had already made great progress. In 1856 the Wheeler & Wilson Sewing Machine Company had purchased the old clock shop, greatly enlarged it, and were employing something like a thousand hands. Churches, dwellings and other manu- factories, including that of the Howe Sewing Ma- chine Company, had been built, and the place had become quite a city. From i860 to the time of his death, Mr. Barnum, although engaged with the New York Museum for years, and afterward with his great show, did not cease to give much attention and energetic effort to the building, prosperity and success of the city of Bridgeport. In 1 86 1 Mr. Barnum introduced into his Museum Commodore Nut, and in 1862 he se- cured another dwarf in the person of Lavinia Warren. In 1865 the American Museum in New York was burned with great loss, but Mr. Barnum at once built another, which was also burned with great loss in 1868. By these two catastrophes about a million dollars worth of Mr. Barnum's property in one dwelling and two Museums had been destroyed by fire. In 1867 he sold his home, " Lindencraft," and removed to the locality where he resided for years, com- mencing the erection of that residence in 1868. This he named "Waldemere," the word mean- ing " Woods-by-the-sea." When he purchased this land, it lay adjoining the west end of Sea- side Park, being a portion of an old farm, and extended from Atlantic street to the shore of the Sound. Believing as he did then that Seaside Park would be a very great advantage to the people of the city, he gave seven acres lying in front of his residence to the city for enlargement of the park. In 1884 he gave thirty acres more, extending the park westward toward Black Rock Harbor. In 1870 Mr. Barnum commenced preparation for a great show and enterprise, comprising a museum, menagerie, caravan, hippodrome and circus, and to this show from that time on he devoted a great portion of his untiring energy. This he styled "The Greatest Show on Earth." This show opened for a few weeks in the spring' every year in the large Madison Square Garden in New York, and during each summer it visited the principal cities in the United States and Canada, from Quebec and Montreal, on the East, to Omaha, Neb., on the West; exhibiting under immense tents, in one of which could be seated 20,000 persons. It consisted of a large menagerie of rare wild beasts, a museum of human phenomena, and living specimens of sav- age and strange tribes and nations, including, without regard to cost, everything rare and mar- velous which his wealth, energy and persever- ance, and experience as a public manager could gather. The " Ethnological Congress " of this show contained the greatest collection of differ- ent types of strange and savage tribes gathered from the remotest corners of the earth ever seen together. The great elephant, "Jumbo," pur- chased by Mr. Barnum from the Roykl Zoological Gardens, London, being the largest land animal seen for centuries, and forty other African and Indian elephants, including two baby elephants — these and scores of other trained animals trans- ported on nearly a hundred railway cars belong- ing to Mr. Barnum, created an expense of $5,000 to $6,000 each day, and brought over a million dollars in a single season. In the latter years of his life Mr. Barnum took several experienced partners, the contract of co-partnership extend- ing for years, and arrangements were made for its continuance after that time by their succes- sors. The winter headquarters of the show, which still bears Mr. Barnum's name, is located at Bridgeport, and the buildings and grounds are annually inspected by thousands. In 1875 Mr. Barnum was elected mayor of Bridgport, and as he always had the best in- terests at heart, it is needless to say that his ad- ministration was eminently successful. The im- provement in the Park City, during the past decade, can easily be traced back to the pioneer hand of this generous gentleman. He secured to the city the beautiful Mountain Grove Ceme- tery. He laid out many streets, and planted hundred of trees in Bridgeport proper, built blocks of houses, many of which he sold to me- chanics on the installment plan, thus providing a home for the thrifty with as little cost as would be the payment of rent. Bridgeport, with its many handsome gifts, notably the Barnum In- stitute of Science and History, from this generous and eminent man, will revere his name for gene- rations to come; and in all cities, towns and COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. hamlets of this, or any country, the people will remember P. T. Barnum and his " Greatest Show on Earth," when all else is forgotten. Mr. Barnum also gave to Tufts College, Mass., $100,000, with which was erected and stocked the Barnum Museum of Natural History. Poli- tically Mr. Barnum was a Democrat previous to the breaking out of the Civil war, but after that period up to the time of his death he was a Re- publican. In 1865 he was elected a representa- tive to the General Assembly of Connecticut, from the town of Fairfield, and from Bridgeport in 1877. In 1876 Mr. Barnum wrote a book of fiction founded on fact, entitled " The Adventure of Lion Jack, or How Menageries are Made, " which was dedicated to the boys of America. In 188 1, Mr. Barnum presented to Bethel, his birthplace, a bronze fountain, which was made in Germany. From an impromptu speech made on the oc- casion the following is an extract: " My friends: Among all the \'aried scenes of an active and eventful life, crowded with strange incidents of struggle and excitement, of joy and sorrow, tak- ing me often through foreign lands and bringing me face to face with the king in his palace and the peasant in his turf-covered hut, I have in- variably cherished — with the most affectionate remembrance of the place of my birth — the old village meeting house, without steeple or bell, where in the square family pew I sweltered in summer and shivered through my Sunday-school lessons in winter, and the old school house, where the ferrule, the birchen rod and rattan did active duty, of which I deserved and received a liberal share." On November 8, 1829, Mr. Barnum was married to Charity Hallett, a native of Bethel, who bore him children as follows: Caroline C, Helen M., Frances I., and Pauline T. The mother of these, who was born October 28, 1808, died November 19, 1873. On September 16, 1874, the father married Miss Nancy Fish, of Southport, Lancashire, England. In 1889 " Waldemere " was removed to make room for "Marina," the present residence of the family at Bridgeport. HON. SAMUEL SHERMAN, of Brookfield, is one of Fairfield county's ablest and most honored sons, and his life and character are well worthy uf study, especially by the young, who may find a helpful suggestion in its stren- uous and well-directed effort after high ideals. Mr. Sherman was born June 2, 1828, upon the old Sherman homestead in Brooktield (an