Jerry Mugivan

In 1904 two "Lucky Boys" Jerry Mugivan and Bert Bowers, fielded their first circus out of Kansas City on 10 rented cars and was called "The Great Van Amburg Show." Their menagerie consisted of one lion, two wolves and some wild life.

Later in the season George Hall Jr. joined the show with his side show that included "Pearl" and other performing animals. Hall stayed most of the season and the Van Amburg Show survived, even showing a nice profit. Mugivan and Bowers were off and running.

These two gentlemen along with Edward Ballard were owners of the American Circus Corporation. These were the five circuses they owned in 1929.

Hagenbeck- Wallace Circus- C.D. Odom Manager
30 railroad cars, 13 elephants- Cheerful Gardner Supt.

Sells-Floto Circus- Zack Terrell Manager
30 railroad cars, 11 elephants- Clyde Baudendistl Supt., Emory Stiles Menagerie Supt.

Al G. Barnes Circus- Buster Cronin Manager
30 railroad cars, 9 elephants- E.W. Jackson Supt.

John Robinson Circus- Jess Adkins Manager
25 railroad cars, 12 elephants- Ferris Cline Supt., Bert Noyes Menagerie Supt.

Sparks Circus- H.B. Gentry Manager
20 railroad cars, 9 elephants- Walter McLain Supt.

This shows the magnitude of their operation, fielding a combined total of 135 cars of circus equipment and 54 elephants, far outsizing Ringling Bros.- Barnum & Bailey Circus.

All of this was sold to John Ringling on Sept. 10, 1929 just weeks before the Stock Market Crash.


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