By BreAnna

FAMILY AND CHILDHOODThe Ringling Family

lived in McGregor, Iowa during the 1800’s.

They were a poor family. The father made horse harnesses for a living.

By 1869 their were 7 boys in the family.

CHILDHOOD The family had a harness

shop, but it had a hard time competing with the large factories that made harnesses with machines.

The Ringling boys had to work in the harness shop by the age of 10.

The Ringling brothers first attended a circus called “Dan Rice’s Famous River Circus.”

After seeing the circus, the Ringling boys decided to make their own penny circus.

Some things in their circus included; a gigantic bull frog, a chicken, an English sparrow, and a yellow canary.

YOUNG ADULTHOOD In the 1880’s the Ringling

brothers travelled with their circus around Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota.

They had ‘Hall Shows,” which are performances held in town halls. They did not have their own tent until 1884.

ADULT• The Ringling brothers

had very successful shows.

• Animals such as deer, camels, zebus, and

horses were part of the acts.

• The circus hosted clown families, jugglers, and

many aerialists.

Today, the Feld family owns the huge circus, and it still runs in Baraboo, Wisconsin. It is called, “Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey; The Greatest Show on Earth.”