Colonel Routh Goshen

Col. Routh Goshen
1824 baptism
Frances Goshen Sylvester (1868-1949) the adopted daughter of Routh Goshen
Routh Goshen in the Brooklyn Eagle in 1871
Colonel Routh Goshen tombstone

Routh Goshen, born Arthur James Caley (1824 – February 12, 1889), was most commonly known as Colonel Routh Goshen or the Arabian Giant or the Palestine Giant.[1] He was billed as the tallest man in the world at 7 ft 11 in (2.41 m) and 620 pounds (280 kg) but was most likely no more than 7 ft 5 in (2.26 m) and 400 pounds (180 kg). His true origins were kept secret from the public during his performance years in the United States and were obscured by the many apocryphal biographies that were created to publicize him. His actual origins came out slowly after his death. His birth name was Arthur James Caley and he was born on the Isle of Man in 1824. His fictional biographies said he was born in Jerusalem on May 5, 1837. After his retirement in the 1880s, he settled in Middlebush, New Jersey, and gained the nickname the Middlebush Giant.

  1. ^ William L. Slout. "Col. Routh Goshen". Olympians of the Sawdust Circle. Archived from the original on December 2, 2006. Retrieved December 12, 2005. Col. Routh Goshen (May 5, 1837 [sic] - February 12, 1889) Sideshow giant, known as 'The Palestine Giant.'