Dan Castello

[7] In September of the year, Dan Castello's Circus and Van Amburgh's Menagerie combined for a show in Savannah.

[9] By 1869, the Wisconsin circus clown, in partnership with James M. Nixon arrived by train in Omaha, Nebraska.

[10] During their run in the Midwestern United States, manager James M. Nixon had the idea to bring Dan Castello's Circus and Menagerie to the Pacific coast.

[12] The circus launched its journey from Nebraska, moving through Colorado to San Francisco for a series of Western shows.

Facing financial strain, Castello sold his circus in California and eventually joined forces with P.T.

[14] Dan Castello came up with the idea of leveraging Barnum's money, fame, and talent to establish a massive circus.

[18] On March 20, 1871, the first circus was loaded on rail cars and transported to Brooklyn, New York, where it would perform its first show on April 10, 1871.

[20] The advertisements portrayed him as a 'gentleman of rare accomplishments as a jester and conversationalist, whose varied and ripe experience in Continental Europe, and North and South America, render his services of great value'.