Barnett Bros. Circus

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Barnett Bros. Circus
Origin
Circus nameBarnett Bros. Circus (1927-1937)
Wallace Bros. Circus (1937-1943)
CountryUnited States
Founder(s)Ray W. Rogers
Year founded1927
Information
FateCombined with Clyde Beatty Circus to form "Clyde Beatty and Wallace Bros Trained Wild Animal Circus Combined" in 1943.
Winter quartersYork, South Carolina

The Barnett Bros. Circus, later known as the Wallace Bros. Circus, was an American circus founded in 1927 that toured both Canada and the United States.

History

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The roots of Barnett Bros. Circus trace back to 1922, when its founder, Ray W. Rogers, discovered show business after charging admission to view a caged eagle that fascinated his town. He soon expanded with carnival concessions such as fortune wheels and games of skill, which became the "Rogers Exposition Show" by 1926.[1] He operated in the Maritime Provinces, with headquarters at Halifax, Nova Scotia.[2] A year later, he toured Newfoundland and Labrador, and from this venture, a new circus emerged.[1] The Barnett Bros. Circus was founded by Ray Rogers in 1927.[3] He went into partnership with William Hamilton.[2] Although no one named Barnett was connected to the show, Rogers explained that it simply sounded like a good circus name, so they adopted it.[1] The circus toured Canada alone for two years before crossing into the United States in 1929.[2]

In November 1929, the circus ended its season in Easley, South Carolina, and moved to York, South Carolina, for winter quarters.[3] The townspeople welcomed the Barnett Bros., and from 1929 to 1945, York served as the circus' winter quarters. The site is now occupied by the lumber yard of York Lumber Co.[1]

By the 1932 season, the circus had grown to twice its former size, with about four acres of canvas and seating for 5,000 in the big tent. The three rings, two stages, and expansive hippodrome track formed a complex network where up to fifteen acts could perform simultaneously.[4] Barnett Bros. debuted a tightrope-walking baby elephant named Delhi that year.[5]

At noon in each town, the circus presented a parade.[6] The parade, more than a mile in length, passed along the main streets and included tableaux trucks, four bands, a steam calliope, clowns, girls, horses, performers, and animals.[7]

The 1934 program featured aerialists, acrobats, wire-walkers, bareback riders, and leapers with a menagerie of lions, tigers, camels, and nine elephants.[8] With 300 employees and 40 horses, Barnett Bros. Circus traveled in 67 specially constructed Chevrolet trucks, along with trailers and house-sleeping cars.[9] As one of the largest motorized circuses, Barnett Bros. drew crowds even when unloading its nine massive elephants.[10]

Rogers partnered with financiers George and Minter Wallace in 1937, leading to the circus being renamed Wallace Bros. Circus for that year and again from 1941 to 1943.[3]

By 1939, it was recognized as one of three prominent traveling shows, alongside Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and Cole Bros. Circus.[11] Movie stars were contracted each year to headline the Barnett Bros. Circus, with Lee Powell, the original Lone Ranger, appearing for the 1939 tour.[12]

The circus remained under the management of R. W. Rogers for 16 years.[13] When Rogers retired in 1942, he declined multiple offers for the circus and transferred it to his employees, allowing them to operate it on a profit-sharing basis.[2] In the following year, the Wallace Bros. Circus merged with the Clyde Beatty Circus.[3] The last of the circus equipment was sold to Clyde Beatty and Floyd King.[13] Beatty finalized the acquisition of the property in January 1945.[2]

The estates of Ray W. Rogers offered the titles and franchises of Wallace Bros. Circus and Barnett Bros. Circus for sale in December 1950. Wallace Bros.' had toured the East, Midwest, and South, while Barnett Brothers' was a prominent motorized show with a strong following in Eastern Canada.[14]

Notable performers

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Alternate names

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  • Barnett Bros. and Trained Animal Shows
  • Barnett Bros. 3 Ring Circus
  • Wallace Bros. Circus
  • Clyde Beatty and Wallace Bros. Trained Wild Animal Circus

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "York was Winter Home for Popular Circus". The Charlotte Observer. June 24, 2001. p. 420. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. April 20, 1946. Retrieved 2025-08-30.
  3. ^ a b c d "Barnett Bros. Circus". circusesandsideshows.com. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  4. ^ "Barnett Bros. Circus—Today". The Daily American. July 12, 1932. p. 4. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  5. ^ "Barnett Bros. Circus Here On Sept. 7th". The Reidsville Review. February 2, 1932. p. 7. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  6. ^ "Barnett Bros. Circus Thurs". Hickory Daily Record. February 2, 1932. p. 3. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  7. ^ "Barnett Bros.' Circus". Public Opinion. February 2, 1932. p. 3. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  8. ^ a b "Barnett Bros. Circus Coming With A Big Street". The Harlan Daily Enterprise. July 29, 1934. p. 3. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  9. ^ "Real Texas Cowboy Heads Wild West Show at Circus". The Richland Beacon-News. September 29, 1934. p. 1. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  10. ^ "High Wire Act Feature With Barnett Bros. Circus". Chillicothe Gazette. July 19, 1934. p. 8. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  11. ^ "Shows Here Today". The Daily News. April 22, 1939. p. 5. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  12. ^ A Guide to Olde York: The White Rose Tour. Arcadia Publishing Incorporated. 2020. ISBN 978-1-4396-6969-3. Retrieved 2025-08-30.
  13. ^ a b "Circus, Minstrel and Traveling Show Collection". specialcollections.usm.edu. Retrieved 2025-08-29.
  14. ^ a b Billboard - Vol. 62, No. 52. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. December 30, 1950. Retrieved 2025-08-30.
  15. ^ "2nd Great Week Of Racine's Centennial and Homecoming Celebration". The Journal Times. July 8, 1934. p. 2. Retrieved August 31, 2025.