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November , Newsletters Never miss a beat Sign Up Now Subscribe now to get the latest news delivered right to your inbox. Newest Slideshows. Special Issues City Guide. Holiday Guide. Summer Guide. Newcomers Guide. Best of Orlando. Fall Guide. Calendar Events. Founded in Baraboo , Wisconsin, in , the family of circus owners and performers became synonymous with the American circus, building the largest and most famous circus in the world by the s.
The sons of German immigrant August Frederick Rungeling simplified to Ringling , five of the seven the Ringling brothers — Albert , Otto , Alfred , Charles and John — started their own backyard circus after seeing one unloaded from a steamboat at the McGregor, Iowa, docks.
The first Ringling performance involving all five brothers took place on November 27, , in Mazomanie. In a vaudeville-style show, two brothers danced, two played instruments and one sang. The brothers used their profits to purchase evening suits and top hats. With a traveling wagon, a rented horse, and a partnership with veteran showman "Yankee" Robinson, the Ringlings opened their first circus on May 19, Unfortunately, Robinson died before the end of the first season.
Two years later the Ringling brothers had their own donkey and a Shetland pony, the makings of their first trick act. A sixth brother, Henry, joined the show that same year while Gus, the seventh brother, joined soon after. By its official title was "Ringling Bros. Ringling North was the son of Ida Ringling, the founders' only sister. The afterword, which provides context for historical happenings after the book's publication, is written by circus historian Fred Dahlinger, Jr.
The Ringlings moved around the Midwest during the early years of their marriage. They spent time in McGregor, Iowa, where four of their seven sons were born, and eventually settled in Baraboo permanently. Though they started with one- and five-cent shows, the Ringling brothers would later own a "flock of circuses" eventually combined to form the "Greatest Show on Earth" — a name adopted in after the Ringling Bros. The second-youngest brother John Ringling was instrumental in the deal, purchasing the circus from James A.
After witnessing show animals arrive by boat one early morning in , the Ringling brothers decided to form their own circus. Ringling states that as he and his brothers walked home for breakfast, they talked together for the first time of having a circus of their own," wrote Henry Ringling North in his memoir " Circus Kings: Our Ringling Family Story. Alf T. Ringling wrote in that "When the last wagon had rolled slowly up the bank, Al, with a sigh of relaxation, turn to Otto and said: 'What would you say if we had a show like that?
The following year, the brothers put on their first "real show," which they consider to be the first official Ringling Brothers circus performance, charging five cents per ticket.
After spending a few years supporting both the family business and their own individual pursuits, the Ringling brothers joined together in to put on a show called "Ringling Bros. Classic and Comic Concert Co. The show, which would later turn a huge profit, went by many names after that performance, including "Ringling Bros. Grand Carnival of Fun," "Ringling Bros. In his memoir, the Ringling brothers' nephew Henry Ringling North wrote, "My uncles, the seven Ringling brothers, had also gone a long way from poverty-stricken country boys who had dreamed of owning a great circus and made their dream come true doubled in spades.
While not all of his uncles lived long enough to enjoy the massive fortune, several — especially John and Charles — were able to spend their riches on large homes, yachts, and luxury vehicles.
During its heyday in the Roaring '20s, Ringling Bros. Circus netted millions of dollars and was considered one of the most impressive live shows. The circus was made especially profitable after the brothers began using railroads to travel to both small towns and big cities by train. According to Henry Ringling North's description, the small town housed both performers and animals during the winter months.
Known as "Winter Quarters," the area included stables, bunks, and wagon and blacksmith shops. According to the Ringling nephew's account, the usually-quiet Midwestern city was home to up to fifty elephants and other wild animals during its coldest season. Along with the buildings for their circus crew, the brothers also owned a hotel and other properties. As a result of these historic buildings, along with several of the family's original houses, Baraboo is one of the locations most associated with the seven Ringling brothers.
While the brothers always returned home for holidays and other family business, Albert Ringling otherwise known as "Al" or "Uncle Al" was especially fond of Baraboo and made it his permanent home. After Al Ringling died in , his sister and his nephews moved into his mansion. One of his nephews, Henry Ringling North, describes living in his uncle's "great, turreted, Renaissance-style mansion, half castle and half chateau, built of Lake Superior sandstone.
According to Ringling North's memoir, his "Uncle Al" served as equestrian director of Ringling show and was known by his nickname to the public as well as his family.
In addition to his role as an equestrian director, he was also skilled at tightrope walking and always practiced "juggling and aerobatics.
The Al Ringling Theatre still stands today and is marked as a historical spot. According to his nephew's memoir, the building — recently restored in — was built as "an almost perfect copy" of Marie Antoinette's theater at Versailles.
According to "Circus Kings," the Ringling brothers made Augustus "Gus" Ringling the advertising manager of the circus in One of the last to join the family business, Gus previously worked as a carriage trimmer. Gus died in and by this time "the others were living in considerable splendor, each according to his taste," according to Henry Ringling North's memoir.
The second-eldest Ringling brother had three daughters: Mattie, Lorene, and Alice. Meanwhile the second-youngest sibling, Henry Ringling, originally began helping his brothers by working the door at the circus shows.
His nephew Henry Ringling North wrote, "Until , Ringling Brothers was not a corporation, but a simple partnership. As one by one the partner-brothers died, the survivors made a settlement with heirs and carried on. According to his nephew's memoir, Otto Ringling became known as "The King" for his power with financial matters. While he was alive, Otto used his fortune to build a library of "fine books. In his New York Times obituary , his brothers additionally labeled "The King" as both "the financier of the family" as well "the Lieutenant General.
John later took over much of Otto's financial duties, while his brothers maintained their separate responsibilities. Like their father before them, Alfred and his brother Charles worked in the harness making industry before the circus became a national success. While his brother Al invested in the brothers' hometown of Baraboo, Alf T. Two massive dams were erected to change Petersburg Pond into what is now Lake Swannanoa. The room home was completed in and now sits on just 4. The property was also briefly used as the winter quarters for his son Richard's circus, the R.
Richards Circus. Richard ended his involvement with the circus after barely two years, and moved to Montana to work as a rancher. According to historian Fred Dahlinger Jr. However, both Ringling men maintained connections with the family business while they were alive.
Paul Ringling died in The land, purchased by John Ringling, is still known as Ringling, Montana, today. Known as "Mr. Charles," Charles Ringling commanded the circus train and took on duties similar to that of a general manager, keeping a "Book of Wonders" to record the circus going-ons during his time traveling the rails.
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