345:
160:
38:
658:
495:
One of the most modest little men that ever lived has been forced to the front by the death of P.T. Barnum. James
Anthony Bailey for ten years has been Mr. Barnum's partner. He can, without exaggeration, be called the creator of the modern circus. He has lifted the circus to a standard that renders
287:
Equestrienne Josie Demott
Robinson wrote in her autobiography that, “Mr. Barnum was the advertiser, who loved the limelight, who rode around in the ring, and announced who he was. But Mr. Bailey was the businessman, content to be invisible...and interested only in the success of the show.”
219:, and an advance man for John Robinson and Bill Lake's traveling circus. F.H. Bailey gave McGinnis a job as his assistant, and the two traveled together for many years. McGinnis eventually adopted F.H. Bailey's surname to become James A. Bailey.
358:
Taped beneath a photo of James Bailey in the scrapbook of employee
Harrison Gunning is a small scrap of paper that reads, “P.T. Barnum was the great showman, but Mr. Bailey was the supreme of all circus managers, past and present.”
207:
Life with
Catherine was difficult as she tended to be overbearing and harsh. Sometime between 1859 and 1860, James ran away from Catherine's home and found a job and a place to stay on a farm about 10 miles outside the city of
301:
He established “Orphan Day”, one day a year when orphans could attend the circus for free. He was often known to carry children who couldn't walk into the circus tent and find them a seat away from the crush of the crowd.
549:"James A. Bailey, King Of Circus Men, is Dead. News Kept From Performers Till The Show Was Over. Widow Gets Circus Stock. Showman Died Of Erysipelas At His Country Home Near Mount Vernon After A Week's Illness"
284:
Barnum was the face of the circus, but James Bailey was the hard worker who insisted on staying behind the scenes. Barnum once wrote to him that James managed the show “ten times better than I could.”
355:
In his book about the circus, Earl Chapin May wrote, “Probably...no circus owner and manager left more sincere mourners than the thin little magnate known to millions as James A. Bailey.”
475:"A Cesar Among Showmen. James A. Bailey, The Partner And Successor Of Barnum. He Is The Creator Of The Modern Circus. His Tremendous Energy And Working Ability. How He Became What He Is"
291:
Bailey was considered by many to be a genius at logistics. His organizational skills for transporting people, animals, and equipment was copied by the military of more than one country.
338:
664:
250:, Bill Lake was shot and killed. With her husband dead, Agnes Lake became the first woman in the United States to own a circus (Agnes Lake would later marry famous gunfighter
727:
737:
227:
In his diary, James' brother-in-law Joe McCaddon writes that Bailey recounted stories of how he left the circus world at age 16 and went to work as clerk to a
717:
239:
573:, there were few among the spectators who knew that James A. Bailey, the backbone of the "greatest show on earth", lay dead in his home, The Knolls, near
266:
262:
305:
Following Barnum's death in 1891, Bailey managed not only The Barnum and Bailey
Greatest Show on Earth, but in 1894, took on the management of
185:
391:
651:
646:
641:
120:
669:
212:. Finding life on the farm unrewarding, 13-year old James wandered into Pontiac where he found work at the Hodges House Hotel.
686:
569:
While the band blared and the clowns made fun and the elephants walked around at the circus last night for the thousands in
732:
326:
215:
After working at the hotel for a time, he was discovered by
Colonel Frederic Harrison Bailey, a nephew of circus pioneer
97:
458:
204:
and in 1855, James was orphaned when his mother died. James then went to live with his older sister, Catherine Gordon.
363:
306:
125:
712:
274:
20:
295:
238:
In 1866, with the war over, he went back to work for Bill Lake, who now owned his own circus with his wife
536:
548:
474:
246:. James and Ruth became friends, fell in love, and were married in December 1868. The very next year in
281:
the
Elephant) in 1880, with their combined show opening the following spring in Madison Square Garden.
722:
574:
85:
570:
270:
707:
702:
613:
511:
590:"Woodlawn Cemetery • Crematory • Conservancy | New York's World Class Cemetery Since 1863"
8:
392:"A strangled elephant, circus mishaps and Detroit's ties to 'The Greatest Show on Earth'"
367:
344:
101:
396:
232:
163:
298:
Detectives to travel with the show and protect circusgoers from grifters and thieves.
454:
371:
334:
255:
209:
197:
349:
322:
251:
247:
243:
216:
159:
556:
482:
196:
James
Anthony McGinnis was born July 4, 1847 to Edward and Hannora McGinnis in
677:
696:
37:
681:
652:
American
Experience: The Circus: The Life and Times of James Bailey, Part 3
647:
American
Experience: The Circus: The Life and Times of James Bailey, Part 2
642:
American Experience: The Circus: The Life and Times of James Bailey, Part 1
496:
almost ridiculous the laws that once were so necessary for its regulation.
537:
https://cowgirlmagazine.com/wild-women-of-the-west-agnes-lake-thatcher/
318:
174:
330:
66:
451:
James A. Bailey – The Genius Behind the Barnum & Bailey Circus
201:
62:
333:, New York City. His widow subsequently sold the circus to the
258:, whose Wild West Show James A. Bailey would one day manage).
228:
181:
278:
589:
180:, was an American owner and manager of several 19th-century
242:. During this time, James met Ruth Louisa McCaddon of
265:, and by the time he was 22, he was manager of the
694:
277:(for which Bailey was instrumental in obtaining
188:(also billed as "The Greatest Show on Earth").
728:Burials at Woodlawn Cemetery (Bronx, New York)
444:
442:
440:
438:
436:
434:
738:Infectious disease deaths in New York (state)
718:Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
432:
430:
428:
426:
424:
422:
420:
418:
416:
414:
186:Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
506:
504:
200:. Edward McGinnis died in October, 1849 of
411:
36:
606:
121:Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus
19:For other people named James Bailey, see
501:
343:
158:
453:(1st ed.). Stow, OH: Slanted Ink.
173:(July 4, 1847 – April 11, 1906) (
695:
670:The Biographical Dictionary of America
383:
362:James A. Bailey was inducted into the
16:American circus proprietor (1847–1906)
448:
389:
111:James A. Bailey (professional title)
390:Allen, Robert (December 29, 2017).
348:Bailey Estate on Lincoln Avenue in
312:
254:, who worked for a short time with
13:
14:
749:
673:. Vol. 1. 1906. p. 183.
635:
364:International Circus Hall of Fame
321:in 1906 at age 58 at his home in
656:
614:"The Circus: Transcript, Part 2"
512:"The Circus: Transcript, Part 1"
273:, and together they established
147:
687:The Affairs of James A. Bailey
582:
541:
530:
467:
222:
1:
377:
307:Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show
261:Bailey later associated with
191:
126:Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show
21:James Bailey (disambiguation)
7:
733:Businesspeople from Detroit
339:merged the rival operations
10:
754:
275:Barnum and Bailey's Circus
18:
269:circus. He then met with
131:
115:
107:
93:
74:
44:
35:
28:
337:in 1907, who eventually
166:in Harlem, New York City
713:American circus owners
449:Adams, Gloria (2021).
352:
167:
86:Mount Vernon, New York
49:James Anthony McGinnis
665:Bailey, James Anthony
620:. PBS. 9 October 2018
571:Madison Square Garden
518:. PBS. 9 October 2018
366:in 1960 and into the
347:
162:
137:Ruth Louisa McCaddon
689:by Richard E Conover
678:James Anthony Bailey
171:James Anthony Bailey
30:James Anthony Bailey
618:American Experience
516:American Experience
368:Circus Ring of Fame
240:Agnes Lake Thatcher
102:The Bronx, New York
397:Detroit Free Press
353:
325:. He is buried in
168:
164:James Bailey House
372:Sarasota, Florida
335:Ringling brothers
327:Woodlawn Cemetery
267:Cooper and Bailey
256:Buffalo Bill Cody
210:Pontiac, Michigan
198:Detroit, Michigan
157:
156:
98:Woodlawn Cemetery
745:
674:
660:
659:
630:
629:
627:
625:
610:
604:
603:
601:
600:
594:www.woodlawn.org
586:
580:
579:
566:
565:
560:. April 12, 1906
553:
545:
539:
534:
528:
527:
525:
523:
508:
499:
498:
492:
491:
486:. April 19, 1891
479:
471:
465:
464:
446:
409:
408:
406:
404:
387:
350:Mount Vernon, NY
323:Mount Vernon, NY
313:Death and legacy
252:Wild Bill Hickok
248:Granby, Missouri
244:Zanesville, Ohio
217:Hachaliah Bailey
184:, including the
151:
149:
108:Other names
81:
58:
56:
40:
26:
25:
753:
752:
748:
747:
746:
744:
743:
742:
723:Wild West shows
693:
692:
662:
657:
638:
633:
623:
621:
612:
611:
607:
598:
596:
588:
587:
583:
563:
561:
551:
547:
546:
542:
535:
531:
521:
519:
510:
509:
502:
489:
487:
477:
473:
472:
468:
461:
447:
412:
402:
400:
388:
384:
380:
317:Bailey died of
315:
263:James E. Cooper
225:
194:
153:
150: 1868)
145:
141:
138:
123:
89:
83:
79:
70:
69:, United States
60:
54:
52:
51:
50:
31:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
751:
741:
740:
735:
730:
725:
720:
715:
710:
705:
691:
690:
684:
675:
654:
649:
644:
637:
636:External links
634:
632:
631:
605:
581:
557:New York Times
540:
529:
500:
483:New York Times
466:
460:978-1736768815
459:
410:
381:
379:
376:
314:
311:
224:
221:
193:
190:
155:
154:
143:
139:
136:
135:
133:
129:
128:
119:Co-founder of
117:
116:Known for
113:
112:
109:
105:
104:
95:
91:
90:
84:
82:(aged 58)
78:April 11, 1906
76:
72:
71:
61:
48:
46:
42:
41:
33:
32:
29:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
750:
739:
736:
734:
731:
729:
726:
724:
721:
719:
716:
714:
711:
709:
706:
704:
701:
700:
698:
688:
685:
683:
679:
676:
672:
671:
666:
655:
653:
650:
648:
645:
643:
640:
639:
619:
615:
609:
595:
591:
585:
578:
576:
572:
559:
558:
550:
544:
538:
533:
517:
513:
507:
505:
497:
485:
484:
476:
470:
462:
456:
452:
445:
443:
441:
439:
437:
435:
433:
431:
429:
427:
425:
423:
421:
419:
417:
415:
399:
398:
393:
386:
382:
375:
373:
369:
365:
360:
356:
351:
346:
342:
340:
336:
332:
328:
324:
320:
310:
308:
303:
299:
297:
292:
289:
285:
282:
280:
276:
272:
268:
264:
259:
257:
253:
249:
245:
241:
236:
234:
230:
220:
218:
213:
211:
205:
203:
199:
189:
187:
183:
179:
176:
172:
165:
161:
134:
130:
127:
122:
118:
114:
110:
106:
103:
99:
96:
94:Resting place
92:
87:
77:
73:
68:
64:
47:
43:
39:
34:
27:
22:
682:Find a Grave
668:
622:. Retrieved
617:
608:
597:. Retrieved
593:
584:
575:Mount Vernon
568:
562:. Retrieved
555:
543:
532:
520:. Retrieved
515:
494:
488:. Retrieved
481:
469:
450:
403:December 31,
401:. Retrieved
395:
385:
361:
357:
354:
316:
304:
300:
293:
290:
286:
283:
260:
237:
226:
214:
206:
195:
177:
170:
169:
80:(1906-04-11)
59:July 4, 1847
708:1906 deaths
703:1847 births
624:16 November
522:16 November
271:P.T. Barnum
231:during the
223:Circus life
697:Categories
599:2022-01-17
564:2007-07-21
490:2007-07-21
378:References
319:erysipelas
192:Early life
55:1847-07-04
374:in 1990.
341:in 1919.
331:The Bronx
296:Pinkerton
294:He hired
233:Civil War
178:McGinnis)
124:Managing
182:circuses
67:Michigan
202:cholera
152:
144:
140:
63:Detroit
661:
457:
229:sutler
132:Spouse
552:(PDF)
478:(PDF)
329:, in
279:Jumbo
146:(
142:
626:2018
524:2018
455:ISBN
405:2017
88:, US
75:Died
45:Born
680:at
667:".
370:in
100:in
699::
616:.
592:.
567:.
554:.
514:.
503:^
493:.
480:.
413:^
394:.
309:.
235:.
175:né
148:m.
65:,
663:"
628:.
602:.
577:.
526:.
463:.
407:.
57:)
53:(
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
