Adam Forepaugh | |
|---|---|
 Publicity photo of Adam Forepaugh | |
| Born | February 28, 1831 |
| Died | January 22, 1890 (aged 58) |
| Resting place | Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Horse trader, Circus owner |
Adam John Forepaugh (born Adam John Forbach;[1] February 28, 1831 – January 22, 1890) was an American horse trader and circus owner. From 1865 through 1890 his circus operated under various names including Forepaugh's Circus, Forepaugh's Gigantic Circus and Menagerie, The Forepaugh Show, 4-PAW Show, The Adam Forepaugh Circus, and Forepaugh & The Wild West.
He ran a successful horse trading business which provided horses to street railway companies. He became wealthy selling horses to the U.S. government during the American Civil War. He entered the circus business by taking part ownership in a circus due to an unpaid debt for the purchase of 44 horses.
In the 1870s and 1880s, Forepaugh and P. T. Barnum had the two largest circuses in the United States and competed fiercely. His innovations included commission of the first railroad cars for a traveling circus in 1877, the first three-ring presentation and the first Wild West show.[1] After Forepaugh's death in 1890, his circus operations were merged with the Sells Brothers Circus to form the Forepaugh-Sells Brothers' Circus in 1900.
- ^ a b "A Great Showman Dead". Philadelphia Times (via newspapers.com, subscription req'd). 24 January 1890. Retrieved 5 October 2020.