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The Gentry Brothers Circus was developed by four Gentry brothers from Bloomington, Indiana and was probably the greatest dog and pony show ever developed in the United States. The brothers' father was Richard Henry Gentry - number 202 in the 1909 book on the family. Richard Henry Gentry' was born in Stokes County, North Carolina, September 23, 1825; moved to Indiana with his father William when he was a child, and later married Frances Umbarger. The children of this marriage were Wallace, Henry, William, Frank, Lillie, and Jesse. Henry B. (H.B.) Gentry was the moving force among the brothers. In 1900, acts using humans and elephants were added to the program. During 1902, the Gentry Brothers Circus switched from a car show setup to flat cars. Twenty baby elephants were purchased in this period which allowed a distribution of five for each of the units. An elaborate route book for 1902 was published which listed a total of 72 railroad cars, 22 elephants, 12 camels, 12 sacred cattle, and 50 big horses. By 1910, the Gentry Brothers Circus was considered the largest traveling show in the U.S. It had 7 elephants and 4 camels. In 1905 the circus also added a sideshow which helped draw in bigger crowds. The sideshow had a fortune- teller, strong man, fire eater, tattooed man, snake charmer, sword swallower, and contortionist |
