Benjamin Wallace , circus director in United States Wallace was born * 1847-10-04 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania United States dead 1921 , in United States . Benjamin Wallace, son of Ephraim and Rebecca Wallace, was born October 4, 1847, near Johnstown, Pennsylvania, but the family moved to Peru, Indiana. His sister Alice, later married Pim Sweeney, director of the Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago. During his time as a livery stable owner in Peru, Indiana, Ben Wallace and his business partner, James Anderson, bought a circus in 1884 and created "The Great Wallace Show". 1884: Ben Wallace went into partnership with James Anderson and bought property belonging to W.C. Coup Circus.
His first season on the road with an overland circus came the same year as the Ringlings, 1884 but on a much more solid footing, having already been a successful businessman in Peru, Ind. in the livery and cartage field (horse trader). This venture included a partner, James Anderson, and the equipment was acqired at the Nathan & Co. auction at Garnett, Kan. and also unlike the Ringlings, a liberal amount of grift accompanied the show. In their second season Wallace & Anderson was loaded on a large side-wheeler steam boat that towed four barges on a route that took them from Indiana to Pennsylvania to Texas. They must have done well since they went out in 1886 on 15 railroad cars, a 100' big top with a 50' middle and a 100' menagrie. Also added were two elephants from the auction of the Miller, Stone & Freeman Show at Columbus, Ohio, "Gypsy" and an African "Jeanette" and finally rose to four with the purchace of a Tuskless male "Pilot" from Sells Bros. Circus also in Columbus. William "Buckles" Woodcock Buckles Blog
This great photo shows the former Ben Wallace elephant barn on the left. Now owned by the American Circus Corporation, the building is used for the giraffes and other hoofed stock. The shed in the center is part of an open area for the camels. The barn to the right is the cat barn. Going up the stairs to the second level would be the harness shop. Bob Cline, Cheraw, South Carolina, United States. Autor of the book Americas elephants
In October 1892, there was an exciting elephant fight at the Wallace winter quarters. It occurred on Sunday evening. The show had been in from the road only a few days. There were five elephants in the Herd, four of them big bulls. After an early supper, the keepers left their charges, each chained to the floor by the left foreleg, and went to town. In some unaccountable way, four of the elephants got loose. Pilate and Diamond had always had an antipathy for each other and at once began Fighting. Their trumpeting made the night hideous. The lions and tigers in a near-by building added their roaring and screaming to the awful chorus and the neighbors for miles around thought bedlam had been turned loose. The two vicious brutes fought savagely until Pilate had one of his Tusks broken, whereupon Diamond put his head against his antagonists side and pushed him clear through the outer wall of the building, a solid brick wall fourteen inches thick. They had gored each other until the building looked as if a river of blood had flowed through it. But, strange to relate, neither of them was seriously hurt and in a few days, barring Pilates broken tusk, they appeared to be in as good condition as ever. The Elephant in Captivity by W. Henry Sheak
In October 1892, there was an exciting elephant fight at the Wallace winter quarters. It occurred on Sunday evening. The show had been in from the road only a few days. There were five elephants in the Herd, four of them big bulls. After an early supper, the keepers left their charges, each chained to the floor by the left foreleg, and went to town. In some unaccountable way, four of the elephants got loose. Pilate and Diamond had always had an antipathy for each other and at once began Fighting. Their trumpeting made the night hideous. The lions and tigers in a near-by building added their roaring and screaming to the awful chorus and the neighbors for miles around thought bedlam had been turned loose. The two vicious brutes fought savagely until Pilate had one of his Tusks broken, whereupon Diamond put his head against his antagonists side and pushed him clear through the outer wall of the building, a solid brick wall fourteen inches thick. They had gored each other until the building looked as if a river of blood had flowed through it. But, strange to relate, neither of them was seriously hurt and in a few days, barring Pilates broken tusk, they appeared to be in as good condition as ever.
1906: In the fall of 1906 after the Hagenbecks Wild Animal Circus folded in Mexico, Ben Wallace, the owner of the Great Wallace circus, bought the 15 elephants from Carl Hagenbeck. They were Moms, Topsy, Trilby, Jughead Nellie, Betty, Pinto, Nancy, Zeffa, Bedelia, Baby. These were all Female Asians. Monte, Satan and Josky were all Male Asians. Jumb and Kongo were Female Africans. Mr. Wallace resold, Monte, Topsy, and Moms to Van Amburgh Circus (Mugivan & Bowers) shortly thereafter with the other twelve joining the four (Robbins Queen, Tess, Mama, and Ding, all Asian females) he still had and becoming the Herd of the new Hagenbeck-Wallace title. Bob Cline, Cheraw, South Carolina, United States. Autor of the book Americas elephants
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