Rowe and Co.'s Pioneer Circus


Book Description




Pioneer Circuses of the West


Book Description

Deals with the pioneering efforts, between 1849-1900, of circus proprietors in the area which lies between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.




Women of the American Circus, 1880-1940


Book Description

During the years 1880 to 1940, the glory days of the American circus, a third to a half of the cast members were women--a large group of very visible American workers whose story needs telling. This book, using sources such as diaries, autobiographies, newspaper accounts, films, posters, and route books, first considers the popular media's presentation of these performers as unnatural and scandalous--as well as romantic and thrilling. Next are the stories told by circus women, which contradict and complicate other versions of their lives. Across America in those years an array of acts featured women, such as tableaux, freak shows, girlie shows, tiger acts, and aerial performances, all involving special skills and all detailed here. The book offers a unique and fascinating view of not just the circus but of what it meant to be an American woman at work.




Early Auburn


Book Description

Located at the junction of gold-rich ravines, Auburn was the site of the first gold discovery in Placer County. Though the superficial gold was quickly panned out, by 1850, the town had become an important trading center. Auburn became a center for goods, services, entertainment, and a place for miners to "winter-over." More importantly, it became a transportation hub. As the county seat, Auburn's hotels, saloons, and merchants experienced a steady stream of customers as county residents came to town to deal with legal matters. Though plagued by numerous destructive fires, the citizens of Auburn rebuilt, and the town continued to thrive. This book will introduce the reader to some of the individuals who were instrumental in shaping Auburn as it grew into the town it is today.




Pioneer Mother of California


Book Description

"...on the 28th of April, 1852 my mother loaded all her worldly possessions, consisting of a stock of provisions and a camp outfit, into a canvas covered wagon drawn by four yoke of oxen; and with her little family of five boys, aged respectively three, five, nine, twins of eleven, one of whom was myself, and a girl of thirteen years, she bade goodbye to Michigan, and took up her march of two thousand eight hundred miles..." Following her husband in his quest to quench his "gold fever," Elisha Brooks took her brood across the enormous expanse of the Western United States. Along the way they met hardship, saw great beauty, met with Indians, and finally made a home in California. During his lifetime, Brooks was a popular speaker on the topic of the westward expansion and he finally set the stories down in this book in 1922 for his grandchildren. For the first time, this long out-of-print volume is available as an affordable, well-formatted book for e-readers and smartphones. Be sure to LOOK INSIDE by clicking the cover above or download a sample.




Olympians of the Sawdust Circle


Book Description

The culmination of more than thirty years of research, Olympians of the Sawdust Circle is an attempt to identify every major and minor player in the American circus world of the nineteenth century. This A-Z guide lists: surname, given name, dates of birth and death (if known), type of entertainment (and function) with which the individual was associated, and the companies and dates by whom the person was employed. Every researcher and library interested in American circus history will need this seminal guide. An absolutely astonishing piece of scholarship.