The “Greatest Show on Earth” owes its early success to the generosity of the citizens of Cascade, Iowa. Cascade reached out to the Ringling brothers in their time of need, and in return, the brothers never forgot the community — and never passed on a chance to show their gratitude.
The Ringling family had seven brothers, five of whom eventually became the famous “Ringling Brothers” of circus history. The family originally lived in McGregor, Iowa, before moving to Baraboo, Wisconsin while the brothers were still young.
As children, the Ringling boys enjoyed playing circus, and they were a talented bunch — a few were musicians, and they enjoyed gymnastic stunts and other entertainment. Their pretend circus became good enough to perform in the town's opera house in 1879, and the encouragement led them to take the show on the road with a team of horses trained to perform a few amateur tricks of their own.
The circus played small towns nearby before venturing farther out. It was a difficult existence — performances made just enough to cover expenses. In 1880, the circus made its way to Onslow, Iowa, and ran into trouble along the way: a nasty storm blew their tent down, nearly ripping it to shreds and ruining their already meager equipment. Unable to pay for feed they'd already purchased, the feed store owners kept some of their animals until payment could be made.
Disheartened, the brothers gathered what animals and belongings they had left and trudged 15 miles through mud to Monticello, Iowa. They arrived bedraggled and penniless, still hopeful that one good crowd could get them back on their feet. Their hopes fell flat, though — they had no money to purchase the license Monticello required for the circus to perform.
Cascade Steps In
The brothers had heard that Cascade enjoyed good performances, so Al Ringling, the show's producer, made his way over the muddy roads to town. There, he quickly befriended two prominent citizens: Isaac W. Baldwin, the mayor and publisher of the town's newspaper, and R.J. McVay, who handled Cascade's banking privately since there was no formal bank at the time.
The mayor issued the performance permit without requiring a fee, printed handbills at his own printing shop to advertise the show, and extended credit for his services until after the performance. McVay advanced the money needed for transportation, feed, and other expenses. Several Cascade boys pitched in to help the company through the muddy roads from Monticello to Cascade, distributing advertising along the way.
After a couple days of preparation — tent set up, lemonade stand erected — that tattered old tent held a full house for the afternoon performance. The evening show drew an even bigger crowd from the surrounding countryside; so many people came that there simply wasn't room for them all.
The receipts from the Cascade performances covered the bills and left enough for a fresh start. From that point on, the Ringling Brothers Circus prospered.
A Promise Kept
It wasn't long before the circus took to the railways, meaning it could no longer return to Cascade — the town was served only by a narrow-gauge rail, and standard cars couldn't travel those tracks. Years passed, and most would have assumed the Ringling Brothers had forgotten the little town they'd never visit again.
Several years later, a group of Cascade friends — “Shorty” Parrott, Ad Severence, and Frank Snowden — went to see the circus perform in Monticello. As Al Ringling captivated the crowd with his depiction of the wonders of the circus, he suddenly interrupted himself: “Why, there's Shorty and some of the boys from Cascade. Come up here on this platform!” He shook their hands and told the crowd how Cascade had helped the circus, adding, “Anyone from Cascade is free to this show anytime. These boys will be at the door to identify anyone from Cascade and pass 'em in. That goes for any place we may show on this earth. Anyone from Cascade has the run of the grounds wherever we are.”
The Ringling Brothers Circus continued to grow, eventually acquiring the Barnum and Bailey Circus and becoming known as the “Greatest Show on Earth.” Through the years, the circus has remained true to its word — citizens of Cascade have been able to attend free of charge wherever the show has performed.