108-531: Phineas Taylor Barnum (July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891) was an American showman, businessman, and politician remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and founding with James Anthony Bailey the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus . He was also an author, publisher, and philanthropist , although he said of himself: "I am a showman by profession ... and all the gilding shall make nothing else of me." According to Barnum's critics, his personal aim
216-514: A Confederate sympathizer to start a fire in 1864. Barnum's American Museum burned to the ground on July 13, 1865 from a fire of unknown origin. Barnum reestablished it at another location in New York City, but this was also destroyed by fire in March 1868. The loss was too great the second time, and Barnum retired from the museum business. Barnum did not enter the circus business until he
324-555: A humid continental climate ( Köppen Dfa ), with four distinct seasons, resembling Hartford more than coastal Connecticut or New York City. Summers are hot and humid, while winters are cold with significant snowfall. The monthly daily average temperature ranges from 28.0 °F (−2.2 °C) in January to 74.5 °F (23.6 °C) in July; on average, temperatures reaching 90 or 0 °F (32 or −18 °C) occur on 18 and 3.1 days of
432-412: A lighthouse lamp that attracted attention up and down Broadway and flags along the roof's edge that attracted attention in daytime, while giant paintings of animals between the upper windows drew attention from pedestrians. The roof was transformed to a strolling garden with a view of the city, where Barnum launched hot-air balloon rides daily. A changing series of live acts and curiosities were added to
540-686: A 40-mile ride in the early hours of the night on April 26, 1777, to warn the people of Danbury and her father's forces in Putnam County, New York , of the approach of British regulars, helping them muster in defense; these accounts, originating from the Ludington family , are questioned by modern scholars. During the following day on April 26, 1777, the British, under Major General William Tryon , burned and sacked Danbury, but fatalities were limited due to Ludington's warning. The central motto on
648-545: A ban on mercury in hatmaking in 1941. While Danbury hat factories stopped using mercury in the 1940s, the mercury waste has remained in the Still River and adjacent soils, and has been detected at high levels in the 21st century. By the 1920s, the hat industry was in decline. By 1923, only six manufacturers were left in Danbury, which increased the pressure on workers. After World War II, returning GIs went hatless,
756-455: A general store, a book-auctioning trade, real estate speculation and a statewide lottery network. He started a weekly newspaper in 1831 called The Herald of Freedom in Bethel, Connecticut . His editorials against the elders of local churches led to libel suits and prosecution, and he was imprisoned for two months. While incarcerated, Barnum sought the help of Rev. L.F.W. Andrews , publisher of
864-566: A hoax so as to expose their victims as fools; seeking some form of profit, other hoaxers hope to maintain the hoax indefinitely, so that it is only when skeptical people willing to investigate their claims publish their findings, that the hoaxers are finally revealed as such. Zhang Yingyu's The Book of Swindles ( c. 1617), published during the late Ming dynasty , is said to be China's first collection of stories about fraud, swindles, hoaxes, and other forms of deception. Although practical jokes have likely existed for thousands of years, one of
972-700: A lecture tour as a temperance speaker to emerge from debt. His museum added America's first aquarium and expanded its wax-figure department. Barnum served two terms in the Connecticut legislature in 1865 as a Republican for Fairfield, Connecticut . He spoke before the legislature concerning the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution , which abolished slavery and involuntary servitude: "A human soul, 'that God has created and Christ died for,'
1080-578: A life-sized sculpture to honor the 200th anniversary of his birth, created by local resident David Gesualdi and placed outside the public library. The statue was dedicated in September 2010. In 1883 Barnum cofounded, with Charles E. Tooker, the Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Company , which continues to operate across Long Island Sound between Port Jefferson, New York and Bridgeport. The company owns and operates three vessels, one of which
1188-646: A new Tom Thumb with whom Barnum visited President Abraham Lincoln at the White House. During the Civil War , Barnum's museum drew large audiences seeking diversion from the conflict. He added pro- Union exhibits, lectures and dramas, and he demonstrated commitment to the cause. He hired Pauline Cushman in 1864, an actress who had served as a spy for the Union, to lecture about her "thrilling adventures" behind Confederate lines. Barnum's Unionist sympathies incited
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#17327661636711296-480: A night for 150 nights, with all expenses paid. Lind demanded the fee in advance, and Barnum agreed. She used the fee to raise a fund for charities, principally endowing schools for poor children in Sweden. Barnum borrowed heavily on his mansion and his museum to raise the money to pay Lind. He was still short of funds, so he persuaded a Philadelphia minister that Lind would be a positive influence on American morals, and
1404-404: A phony "incident" during a supposed wedding, which showed a bride and preacher getting knocked into a pool by a clumsy fall from a best man. A resulting video clip of Chloe and Keith's Wedding was uploaded to YouTube and was viewed by over 30 million people and the couple was interviewed by numerous talk shows. Viewers were deluded into thinking that it was an authentic clip of a real accident at
1512-627: A real wedding; but a story in USA Today in 2009 revealed it was a hoax. Governments sometimes spread false information to facilitate their objectives, such as going to war. These often come under the heading of black propaganda. There is often a mixture of outright hoax and suppression and management of information to give the desired impression. In wartime and times of international tension rumours abound, some of which may be deliberate hoaxes. Examples of politics-related hoaxes: Psychologist Peter Hancock has identified six steps which characterise
1620-413: A relatively small area at first, then grow gradually. However, hoaxes could also be spread via chain letters , which became easier as the cost of mailing a letter dropped. The invention of the printing press in the 15th century brought down the cost of a mass-produced books and pamphlets, and the rotary printing press of the 19th century reduced the price even further (see yellow journalism ). During
1728-628: A simple majority vote. If after five days the Mayor does not approve the ordinance (similar to a veto), the City Council may re-vote on it. If it then passes with a two-thirds majority, it becomes effective without the Mayor's approval. The current City Council consists of 14 Republicans and 7 Democrats. Danbury has six state representatives as of 2021; Raghib Allie-Brennan D-2, Stephen Harding R-107, Patrick Callahan R-108, David Arconti D-109, Bob Godfrey D-110 and Kenneth Gucker D-138. There
1836-537: A stroke at his home. He was buried in Mountain Grove Cemetery, Bridgeport , which he designed himself. Barnum was born in Bethel, Connecticut , the son of innkeeper, tailor and storekeeper Philo Barnum (1778–1826) and Philo's second wife, Irene Taylor. Barnum's maternal grandfather Phineas Taylor was a Whig , legislator, landowner, justice of the peace , and lottery schemer who had a great influence upon him. Barnum ran several businesses, including
1944-468: A substantial portion of tickets at reduced prices. On the tour, Barnum's publicity always preceded Lind's arrival and generated enthusiasm, as he had as many as 26 journalists on his payroll. After New York, the company toured the East Coast with continued success and later traveled through the southern states and Cuba . By early 1851, Lind had become uncomfortable with Barnum's relentless marketing of
2052-528: A trend that accelerated through the 1950s, dooming the city's hat industry. The city's last major hat factory, owned by Stetson , closed in 1964. The last hat was made in Danbury in 1987 when a small factory owned by Stetson closed. According to the United States Census Bureau , Danbury has a total area of 44.3 square miles (115 km ), of which 42.1 square miles (109 km ) is land and 2.2 square miles (5.7 km ), or 4.94%,
2160-643: A truly successful hoax: Hoaxes vary widely in their processes of creation, propagation, and entrenchment over time. Examples include: Hoax news (also referred to as fake news ) is a news report containing facts that are either inaccurate or false but which are presented as genuine. A hoax news report conveys a half-truth used deliberately to mislead the public. Hoax may serve the goal of propaganda or disinformation – using social media to drive web traffic and amplify their effect. Unlike news satire , fake news websites seek to mislead, rather than entertain, readers for financial or political gain. Hoax news
2268-530: A year of mixed success with his first variety troupe, Barnum's Grand Scientific and Musical Theater, followed by the Panic of 1837 and three years of difficult circumstances. He purchased Scudder's American Museum in 1841, located at Broadway and Ann Street in Manhattan . Renaming it Barnum's American Museum, he improved it, upgrading the building and adding exhibits. It became a popular showplace. He added
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#17327661636712376-684: Is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut , United States, located approximately 50 miles (80 km) northeast of New York City . Danbury's population as of 2020 was 86,518. It is the third-largest city in Western Connecticut , and the seventh-largest city in Connecticut . Located within the heart of the Housatonic Valley region , the city is a commercial hub of western Connecticut, an outer-ring commuter suburb of New York City, and an historic summer colony of
2484-475: Is a fake almanac published by Jonathan Swift under the pseudonym of Isaac Bickerstaff in 1708. Swift predicted the death of John Partridge , one of the leading astrologers in England at that time, in the almanac and later issued an elegy on the day Partridge was supposed to have died. Partridge's reputation was damaged as a result and his astrological almanac was not published for the next six years. It
2592-655: Is buried in Danbury's Wooster Cemetery; the private Wooster School in Danbury also was named in his honor. In 1802, President Thomas Jefferson wrote a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association , a group expressing fear of persecution by the Congregationalists of that town, in which he used the expression " Separation of Church and State ". It is the first known instance of the expression in American legal or political writing. The letter
2700-799: Is grades 9 through 12. An alternative school by the name of Alternative Center for Excellence is housed off-campus, and its graduates receive Danbury High School diplomas upon completion of their studies. Danbury also has 3 public middle schools for grades 6 through 8: Broadview Middle School, Rogers Park Middle School and Westside Middle School Academy . There are 13 elementary schools in Danbury. These schools are Academy for International Studies Magnet School (K–5), Ellsworth Avenue (K–5), Great Plain (K–5), Hayestown (K–5), King Street Primary (K–3) and King Street Intermediate (4–5), Mill Ridge Primary (K–3), Morris Street (K–5), Park Avenue (K–5), Pembroke (K–5), Shelter Rock (K–5), South Street (K–5) and Stadley Rough (K–5). Roman Catholic schools in Danbury reside within
2808-512: Is named the M.V. PT Barnum . The Barnum Museum in Bridgeport houses many of his oddities and curiosities. Hoax A hoax (plural: hoaxes ) is a widely publicised falsehood created to deceive its audience with false and often astonishing information, with the either malicious or humorous intent of causing shock and interest in as many people as possible. Some hoaxers intend to eventually unmask their representations as having been
2916-442: Is not to be trifled with. It may tenant the body of a Chinaman, a Turk, an Arab, or a Hottentot —it is still an immortal spirit." He was elected in 1875 as mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut, where he worked to improve the water supply, bring gas lighting to streets and enforce liquor and prostitution laws. He was instrumental in the inception of Bridgeport Hospital in 1878 and was its first president. The circus business, begun when he
3024-581: Is occasionally used in reference to urban legends and rumours, but the folklorist Jan Harold Brunvand argues that most of them lack evidence of deliberate creations of falsehood and are passed along in good faith by believers or as jokes, so the term should be used for only those with a probable conscious attempt to deceive. As for the closely related terms practical joke and prank , Brunvand states that although there are instances where they overlap, hoax tends to indicate "relatively complex and large-scale fabrications" and includes deceptions that go beyond
3132-760: Is on display at the Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Danbury. The first Danbury Fair was held in 1821. In 1869, it became a yearly event; the last edition was in 1981. The fairgrounds were cleared to make room for the Danbury Fair Mall , which opened in autumn 1986. In 1835, the Connecticut Legislature granted a rail charter to the Fairfield County Railroad , but construction was delayed because of lack of investment. In 1850,
3240-614: Is one state senator, Julie Kushner D-24. Danbury is represented in the United States Congress by U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes (D). Danbury's Fiscal Year 2020–2021 mill rate is 27.60. Danbury Public Schools operates most public schools, with Danbury High School belonging to the district. The other public high school, Henry Abbott Technical High School , is within the Connecticut Technical High School System . Each high school
3348-464: Is possible to perpetrate a hoax by making only true statements using unfamiliar wording or context, such as in the Dihydrogen monoxide hoax . Political hoaxes are sometimes motivated by the desire to ridicule or besmirch opposing politicians or political institutions , often before elections. A hoax differs from a magic trick or from fiction (books, film, theatre, radio, television, etc.) in that
P. T. Barnum - Misplaced Pages Continue
3456-430: Is usually released with the intention of misleading to injure an organisation, individual, or person, and/or benefit financially or politically, sometimes utilising sensationalist, deceptive, or simply invented headlines to maximise readership. Likewise, clickbait reports and articles from this operation gain advertisement revenue. Danbury, Connecticut Danbury ( / ˈ d æ n b ɛər i / DAN -bair-ee )
3564-601: Is water. The city is located in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains on low-lying land just south of Candlewood Lake (the City includes the southern parts of the lake). It developed along the Still River , which flows generally from west to east through the city before joining the Housatonic River . The city's terrain includes rolling hills and not-very-tall mountains to the west and northwest called
3672-697: The 06810 code was given to all of Danbury; it was shared with a then-still-rural New Fairfield to its north. In 1984, the 06810 Zip Code was cut back to areas of Danbury south of Interstate 84. A new 06811 ZIP code was created for areas north of Interstate 84. New Fairfield received its own code, 06812 . In 2016 Danbury's workforce was approximately 79,400 workers. 12,200 (15.4%) of them worked in goods producing industries. 67,200 (84.6%) of them worked in service providing industries which includes: trade, transportation and utilities (17,300), professional and business services (9,400), leisure and hospitality (7,300), government (10,200) and all other (23,000). In Nov. 2016,
3780-579: The Baltimore Museum and Gallery of Fine Arts . By late 1846, Barnum's American Museum was drawing 400,000 visitors per year. Barnum became aware of the popularity of Jenny Lind , the "Swedish Nightingale", during his European tour with Tom Thumb when her career was at its height in Europe. Barnum, admittedly unmusical, had never heard Lind's voice but he offered her the chance to sing in the US at $ 1,000
3888-600: The Gospel Witness from Hartford. Barnum and Andrews then published a joint paper, the Herald of Freedom and Gospel Witness. They dissolved their partnership a year later in October 1833. Barnum then moved the publication of the paper to Danbury, Connecticut . In November 1834, after publishing 160 issues of the Herald of Freedom , Barnum passed control of the paper to his brother-in-law, John W. Amerman, who published
3996-573: The New York metropolitan area and New England . Danbury is nicknamed the "Hat City", because it was once the center of the American hat industry , during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The mineral danburite is named after Danbury, while the city itself is named for Danbury in Essex , England. Danbury is home to Danbury Hospital , Western Connecticut State University , Danbury Fair Mall , and Danbury Municipal Airport . Danbury
4104-543: The Oglala Sioux nation, who re-enacted events from frontier history. Oglala Sioux Albert Afraid of Hawk died on June 29, 1900, at age 21 in Danbury during the tour. He was buried at Wooster Cemetery . In 2012, employee Robert Young discovered Afraid of Hawk's remains. The city consulted with Oglala Sioux leaders of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and arranged repatriation of the remains to
4212-489: The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus . The United States Mint issued a commemorative coin in 1936 for Bridgeport's centennial celebration with Barnum's portrait for the obverse. Cartoonist Walt Kelly , a Bridgeport native, named a character in Barnum's honor in his Pogo comic strip. An ongoing annual multi-week Barnum Festival has been held since 1949 in Bridgeport. The Bethel Historical Society commissioned
4320-689: The Royal Pavilion in Brighton , England. It was built in 1848 but it was destroyed by fire in 1857. The Marina was demolished by the University of Bridgeport in 1964 in order to build a cafeteria. At his death, critics praised Barnum for his philanthropy and called him an icon of American spirit and ingenuity. He asked the Evening Sun to print his obituary just prior to his death so that he might read it. On April 7, 1891, Barnum asked about
4428-412: The "Danbury 11", were arrested in Danbury. A sting operation had been set up where day laborers were lured into a van whose driver, a disguised Danbury police officer posing as a contractor, promised them work. The laborers were driven to a parking lot where, if it was determined they were in the US illegally, were arrested by agents of ICE and the Danbury police. Yale University law students represented
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4536-421: The "Danbury shakes", was characterized by slurred speech, tremors, stumbling, and, in extreme cases, hallucinations. The effect of mercury on the workers' health was first noted in the late 19th century. While workers in the Danbury factories lobbied for controls on mercury in the early 20th century, a government study on the health effects of mercury was not conducted until 1937. The State of Connecticut announced
4644-504: The 1908 Danbury Hatters' Case the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the union was liable for damages. In the 1930s and 1940s, there were a number of violent incidents during several strikes, mostly involving scab workers brought in as strikebreakers. Beginning in 1892, the industry was revolutionized when the large hat factories began to shift to manufacturing unfinished hat bodies only, and supplying them to smaller hat shops for finishing. While Danbury produced 24% of America's hats in 1904,
4752-402: The 20th century, the hoax found a mass market in the form of supermarket tabloids , and by the 21st century there were fake news websites which spread hoaxes via social networking websites (in addition to the use of email for a modern type of chain letter ). The English philologist Robert Nares (1753–1829) says that the word hoax was coined in the late 18th century as a contraction of
4860-576: The Ancient World . The collections expanded to four buildings, and he published a museum guidebook that claimed 850,000 "curiosities". Late in 1860, Siamese twins Chang and Eng emerged from retirement and appeared at Barnum's museum for six weeks. Also in 1860, Barnum introduced Zip the Pinhead , a microcephalic black man who spoke a mysterious language created by Barnum. In 1862, Barnum discovered giantess Anna Swan and dwarf Commodore Nutt ,
4968-494: The City did not admit any wrongdoing and there were no changes in the city's policies or procedures. In 1780, what is traditionally considered to be the first hat shop in Danbury was established by Zadoc Benedict . ( Hatmaking had existed in Danbury before the Revolution.) The Benedict shop had three employees, and they made 18 hats weekly. By 1800, Danbury was producing 20,000 hats annually, more than any other city in
5076-593: The Democratic Party because it had endorsed slavery. Barnum joined the new anti-slavery Republican Party. Barnum claimed that "politics were always distasteful to me", but he was elected to the Connecticut General Assembly in 1865 as a Republican representing Fairfield . He hired spies to acquire insider information on the New York and New Haven Railroad lines and exposed a secret that would raise fares by 20 percent. He said during
5184-592: The Globe and The Art of Money-Getting (1880). Barnum was often called the Prince of Humbugs and felt that entertainers and vendors perpetrating hoaxes (or "humbugs") in promotional material were justified if the public received value in return. However, he was contemptuous of those who accrued money through fraud, especially the spiritualist mediums popular in his day. He testified against noted "spirit photographer" William H. Mumler in his trial for fraud, and he exposed
5292-786: The Great London Circus, Sanger's Royal British Menagerie and the Grand International Allied Shows United" after an 1881 merger with James Bailey and James L. Hutchinson, soon shortened to "Barnum & Bailey's". This was the first circus to display three rings. The show's first primary attraction was Jumbo , an African elephant that Barnum purchased in 1882 from the London Zoo . The Barnum and Bailey Circus still contained acts similar to his Traveling Menagerie, including acrobats, freak shows and General Tom Thumb. Barnum persisted in growing
5400-465: The Still River throughout the late 19th century and into the 1940s. This toxic product flowed into the Housatonic River and Long Island Sound , affecting water quality and various fish and other organisms. Field studies conducted in the Still River basin in the 21st century have detected the continuing presence of high levels of mercury in the river sediments and nearby soils. Danbury has
5508-700: The U.S. Due to the fur felt hat coming back into style for men and increasing mechanization in the 1850s, by 1859 hat production in Danbury had risen to 1.5 million annually. By 1887, thirty factories were producing 5 million hats per year. Around this time, fur processing was separated from hat manufacturing when the P. Robinson Fur Cutting Company (1884) on Oil Mill Road and the White Brothers' factory began operation. By 1880, workers had unionized, beginning decades of labor unrest. They struggled to achieve conditions that were more fair, going on strike; with management reacting with lockouts. Because of
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#17327661636715616-484: The Western Highland. Ground elevations in the city range from 378 feet to 1,050 feet above sea level. A geologic fault known as Cameron's Line runs through Danbury. Bethel Brookfield New Fairfield New Milford Newtown Ridgefield The hatmaking fur-removal process was based on the use of mercury nitrate . The waste caused serious water pollution as the hat manufacturers dumped it into
5724-415: The audience is unaware of being deceived, whereas in watching a magician perform an illusion the audience expects to be tricked. A hoax is often intended as a practical joke or to cause embarrassment, or to provoke social or political change by raising people's awareness of something. It can also emerge from a marketing or advertising purpose. For example, to market a romantic comedy film, a director staged
5832-492: The box-office receipts for the day, and a few hours later, he died. In 1893, a statue in Barnum's honor was erected by his former partners James Bailey , James A. Hutchinson and W. W. Cole at Seaside Park in Bridgeport. Barnum had donated the land for the park in 1865. His circus was sold to Ringling Brothers on July 8, 1907 for $ 400,000, equivalent to $ 13,080,000 in 2023. The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circuses ran separately until they merged in 1919, forming
5940-510: The circus in spite of more fires, train disasters and other setbacks, and he was aided by circus professionals who ran the daily operations. He and Bailey parted ways in 1885, but they rejoined in 1888 with the "Barnum & Bailey Greatest Show on Earth", later the Barnum & Bailey Circus , which toured the world. Barnum was among the first circus owners to move his circus by train, a suggestion by Bailey and other business partners, and probably
6048-513: The city supplied the industry with 75% of its hat bodies. The turn of the century was the heyday of the hatting industry in Danbury, when it became known as the "Hat City" and the "Hatting Capitol of the World". Its motto was "Danbury Crowns Them All". The use of mercuric nitrate in the felting process poisoned many workers in the hat factories, creating a condition called erethism , also called "mad hatter disease." The condition, known locally as
6156-490: The daughter of his close friend John Fish and 40 years Barnum's junior. Barnum died from a stroke at home in 1891 at the age of 80. He is buried in Mountain Grove Cemetery in Bridgeport , Connecticut , a cemetery that he designed. Barnum built four mansions in Bridgeport, Connecticut : Iranistan , Lindencroft, Waldemere and Marina. Iranistan was the most notable, a Moorish Revival architecture designed by Leopold Eidlitz with domes, spires and lacy fretwork inspired by
6264-455: The distinction between hoax and fraud is not necessarily clear. Alex Boese, the creator of the Museum of Hoaxes , states that the only distinction between them is the reaction of the public, because a fraud can be classified as a hoax when its method of acquiring financial gain creates a broad public impact or captures the imagination of the masses. One of the earliest recorded media hoaxes
6372-434: The downtown. At the same time, roads were relocated and rebuilt, 123 major buildings were razed and 104 families were relocated. This began various efforts by the City through 1975 towards urban renewal, using another $ 22 million of federal funding. However, these efforts failed to reinvigorate the central business district. On February 13, 1970, brothers James and John Pardue detonated time bombs (injuring 26 people) at
6480-498: The earliest recorded hoaxes in Western history was the drummer of Tedworth in 1661. The communication of hoaxes can be accomplished in almost any manner that a fictional story can be communicated: in person, via word of mouth , via words printed on paper, and so on. As communications technology has advanced, the speed at which hoaxes spread has also advanced: a rumour about a ghostly drummer, spread by word of mouth, will affect
6588-527: The exhibits of stuffed animals, including albinos , giants , little people , jugglers, magicians, exotic women, detailed models of cities and famous battles and a menagerie of animals. In 1842, Barnum introduced his first major hoax: a creature with the body of a monkey and the tail of a fish known as the "Feejee" mermaid . He leased it from fellow museum owner Moses Kimball of Boston who became his friend, confidant and collaborator. Barnum justified his hoaxes by calling them advertisements to draw attention to
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#17327661636716696-476: The fear of crime. The theater opened with The Drunkard , a thinly disguised temperance lecture. Barnum had become a teetotaler after returning from Europe. He followed it with melodramas, farces and historical plays performed by highly regarded actors. He edited Shakespearean plays and other works such as Uncle Tom's Cabin to render them more palatable for family audiences. Barnum organized flower shows, beauty contests, dog shows and poultry contests, but
6804-493: The first to own his own train. He became known as the "Shakespeare of Advertising" because of his innovative and impressive ideas. In this new business venture, Barnum leaned on the advice of Bailey and other business partners. Barnum wrote several books, including Life of P. T. Barnum (1855), The Humbugs of the World (1865), Struggles and Triumphs (1869), Forest and Jungle, or, Thrilling Adventures in All Quarters of
6912-536: The general court decreed the name Danbury. The general court appointed a committee to lay out the new town's boundaries. A survey was made in 1693, and a formal town patent was granted in 1702. During the Revolutionary War , Danbury was an important military supply depot for the Continental Army . Sybil Ludington , 16-year-old daughter of American Colonel Henry Ludington , is said to have made
7020-473: The larger nation by culture and language). One of the original settlers in Danbury was Samuel Benedict, who bought land from the Paquioque in 1685, along with his brother James Benedict, James Beebe, and Judah Gregory. This area was also called Paquiack ("open plain" or "cleared land") by the Paquioque. In recognition of the wetlands, the settlers chose the name Swampfield for their town. In October 1687,
7128-409: The men pro bono and filed a civil rights lawsuit against the city on their behalf. On March 8, 2011, it was confirmed a settlement had been reached in the case whereby Danbury agreed to pay the laborers $ 400,000 (Danbury's insurance carrier paid the settlement plus legal fees of close to $ 1,000,000, less a $ 100,000 deductible). The federal government agreed to pay them $ 250,000. As part of the settlement,
7236-643: The merely playful and "cause material loss or harm to the victim." According to Professor Lynda Walsh of the University of Nevada, Reno , some hoaxes – such as the Great Stock Exchange Fraud of 1814 , labelled as a hoax by contemporary commentators – are financial in nature, and successful hoaxers – such as P. T. Barnum , whose Fiji mermaid contributed to his wealth – often acquire monetary gain or fame through their fabrications, so
7344-451: The minister lent him the final $ 6,000. The contract also afforded Lind the option of withdrawing from the tour after 60 or 100 performances, paying Barnum $ 50,000 (~$ 1.42 million in 2023) if she did so. Lind and her small company sailed to the US in September 1850. She was a celebrity before she arrived, following Barnum's months of preparations. Nearly 40,000 people greeted her at the docks and another 20,000 at her hotel, and merchandise
7452-475: The most popular were baby contests. In 1853 he started the pictorial weekly newspaper Illustrated News . He completed his autobiography one year later, which sold more than one million copies over the course of numerous revisions. Mark Twain loved the book, but the British Examiner thought it "trashy" and "offensive" and wrote that it inspired "nothing but sensations of disgust" and "sincere pity for
7560-540: The museum as a platform to promote hoaxes and human curiosities such as the Fiji mermaid and General Tom Thumb . In 1850, he promoted the American tour of Swedish opera singer Jenny Lind , paying her an unprecedented $ 1,000, equivalent to $ 36,624 in 2023, per night for 150 nights. He suffered economic reversals in the 1850s from unwise investments, as well as years of litigation and public humiliation, but he embarked on
7668-599: The museum. He said, "I don't believe in duping the public, but I believe in first attracting and then pleasing them." He followed the mermaid act by exhibiting the four-year-old actor Charles Stratton, billed as the 11-year-old General Tom Thumb . Stratton was taught to imitate famous figures such as Hercules and Napoleon . In 1843, Barnum hired the Native American dancer Do-Hum-Me , the first of many Natives that he would present. During 1844–45, he toured with General Tom Thumb in Europe and met Queen Victoria , who
7776-402: The nation's first prisons to desegregate its inmates. On August 18–19, 1955, the Still River, which normally meandered slowly through downtown Danbury, overflowed its banks when Hurricane Diane hit the area, dropping six inches of rain on the city. This was in addition to the nine inches that fell from Hurricane Connie five days earlier. The water flooded stores, factories and homes along
7884-598: The nation. This meeting occurred in the Health Sciences Library of Danbury Hospital with assistance of the Chaplain. Wrapped in a bison skin, the remains were transported to Manderson , South Dakota, to Saint Mark's Episcopal Cemetery, for reburial by tribal descendants. In 1928 local plane pilots bought a 60-acre (24 ha) tract near the Fairgrounds, known as Tucker's Field, and leased it to
7992-547: The organization's plans were scaled back, and renamed the Danbury and Norwalk Railroad . Work moved quickly on the 23 mi (37 km) railroad line. In 1852, the first railroad line in Danbury opened, with two trains making the 75-minute trip to Norwalk . The central part of Danbury was incorporated as a borough in 1822. The borough was reincorporated as the city of Danbury on April 19, 1889. The city and town were consolidated on January 1, 1965. The first dam to be built on
8100-534: The paper for another year in Norwalk, Connecticut . When Amerman sold the paper to Mr. George Taylor, the Barnum family's connection to the Herald of Freedom ended. Barnum sold his store in 1834. He began his career as a showman in 1835 at the age of 25 with the purchase and exhibition of a blind and almost completely paralyzed slave woman named Joice Heth , whom an acquaintance was billing around Philadelphia as George Washington 's 161 year-old former nurse. Slavery
8208-483: The police station, Union Savings Bank and in their getaway car to cover their escape from robbing the bank at gunpoint, the culmination of a two-year crime spree that included four bank robberies and five murders. The flawed primary mirror of the Hubble Space Telescope was ground and polished in Danbury by Perkin-Elmer's Danbury Optical System unit from 1979 to 1981. It was mistakenly ground to
8316-402: The population of Danbury as of 2015 is 84,657. As of the 2010 census, there were 80,893 people and 29,046 households in the city, with 2.73 persons per household. 44.1% of the population spoke a language other than English at home. The population density was 1,921.4 people per square mile. There were 31,154 housing units at an average density of 740.0 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city
8424-435: The population was under the age of 5, and 21.1% was under the age of 18. 11.1% of the population was 65 years of age or older. 50.9% of the population was female. The per capita income for the city was $ 31,411. 11.1% of the population was below the poverty line. The median gross monthly rent was $ 1,269. In 2015 the median income for a household in the city was approximately $ 66,676. When ZIP codes were introduced in 1963,
8532-486: The ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution : "A human soul, 'that God has created and Christ died for,' is not to be trifled with. It may tenant the body of a Chinaman, a Turk, an Arab or a Hottentot—it is still an immortal spirit." He acknowledged that he had owned slaves when he lived in the South: "I whipped my slaves. I ought to have been whipped a thousand times for this myself. But then I
8640-482: The river from North Street to Beaver Brook, causing $ 3 million in damages. Stores downtown on White Street between Main and Maple were especially hard hit. On October 13–16, another 12 inches of rain fell on Danbury, causing the worst flooding in the city's history. This time, the river damaged all bridges across it, effectively cutting the city in half for several days. Flooding was more widespread than in August, and
8748-471: The river, to collect water for the hat industry, impounded the Kohanza Reservoir . This dam broke on January 31, 1869, under pressure of ice and water. The ensuing flood of icy water killed 11 people within 30 minutes, and caused major damage to homes and farms. As a busy city, Danbury attracted traveling shows and tours, including Buffalo Bill 's Wild West Show in 1900. It featured young men of
8856-404: The same downtown areas hit in August were devastated once again. The resulting damage was valued at $ 6 million, and two people lost their lives. The City determined the river in the downtown area had to be tamed. $ 4.5 million in federal and state funding were acquired as part of a greater urban renewal project to straighten, deepen, widen, and enclose the river in a concrete channel through
8964-552: The scale of the industry, labor unrest and struggles over wages affected the economy of the entire town. In 1893, nineteen manufacturers locked out 4000 union hatters. In 1902, the American Federation of Labor union called for a nationwide boycott of Dietrich Loewe, a Danbury non-union hat manufacturer. The manufacturer sued the union under the Sherman Antitrust Act for unlawfully restraining trade. In
9072-577: The seal of the City of Danbury is Restituimus , ( Latin for "We have restored"), a reference to the destruction caused by the Loyalist army troops. The American General David Wooster was mortally wounded at the Battle of Ridgefield by the British forces which had raided Danbury, but at the beginning of the battle, the Americans succeeded in driving the British forces down to Long Island Sound. Wooster
9180-403: The tour, and she invoked a contractual right to sever her ties with him. They parted amicably, and she continued the tour for nearly a year under her own management. Lind performed 93 concerts in the US for Barnum, earning her about $ 350,000, while Barnum netted at least $ 500,000, equivalent to $ 18,312,000 in 2023. Barnum's next challenge was to change public attitudes about the theater, which
9288-589: The town. This was developed as an airport, which is now Danbury Municipal Airport ( ICAO : KDXR ). Connecticut's largest lake, Candlewood Lake (of which the extreme southern part is in Danbury), was created as a hydroelectric power facility in 1928 by building a dam where Wood Creek and the Rocky River meet near the Housatonic River in New Milford . During World War II , Danbury's federal prison
9396-571: The tricks employed by mediums to cheat the bereaved. In The Humbugs of the World , Barnum offered $ 500 (equivalent to $ 9,952 in 2023) to any medium who could prove the power to communicate with the dead. Barnum was significantly involved in politics. He mainly focused on race, slavery and sectionalism in the period preceding the American Civil War . He opposed the Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854, which supported slavery, and left
9504-624: The unemployment rate for the Danbury Labor Market Area was 3.0%, compared to 3.7% for the State and 4.6% nationally. The top employers in the city in 2020 were: The chief executive officer of Danbury is the Mayor, who serves a two-year term. The current mayor is Roberto L. Alves (D). The Mayor is the presiding officer of the City Council, which consists of 21 members, two from each of the seven city wards , and seven at-large. The City Council enacts ordinances and resolutions by
9612-506: The use of contraception. This law remained in effect in Connecticut until it was overturned in 1965 by the U.S. Supreme Court in its Griswold v. Connecticut decision. Barnum campaigned for the U.S. Congress in 1867 and lost to his third cousin William Henry Barnum . In 1875, he served as mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut to improve the water supply, bring gas lighting to streets and enforce liquor and prostitution laws. He
9720-436: The verb hocus , which means "to cheat", "to impose upon" or (according to Merriam-Webster ) "to befuddle often with drugged liquor." Hocus is a shortening of the magic incantation hocus pocus , whose origin is disputed. Robert Nares defined the word hoax as meaning "to cheat", dating from Thomas Ady 's 1656 book A candle in the dark, or a treatise on the nature of witches and witchcraft . The term hoax
9828-620: The wretched man who compiled it." In the early 1850s, Barnum began investing to develop East Bridgeport, Connecticut . He extended substantial loans to the Jerome Clock Company to lure it to move to his new industrial area, but the company went bankrupt by 1856, taking Barnum's wealth with it. This began four years of litigation and public humiliation. Ralph Waldo Emerson proclaimed that Barnum's downfall showed "the gods visible again", and other critics celebrated Barnum's public dilemma. However, Tom Thumb offered his services, as he
9936-585: The wrong shape due to the use of a miscalibrated testing device. The mistake was not discovered until after the telescope was in orbit and began to be used. The effects of the flaw were corrected during the telescope's first servicing mission in 1993. In the August 1988 issue of Money magazine , Danbury topped the magazine's list of the best U.S. cities to live in, mostly due to low crime, good schools, and location. A case that would make national headlines and play out for over four years began on September 19, 2006, when eleven day laborers, who came to be known as
10044-496: The year, respectively. The average annual precipitation is approximately 56.04 inches (1,420 mm), which is distributed fairly evenly throughout the year; snow averages 49.3 inches (125 cm) per season, although this total may vary considerably from year to year. Extremes in temperature range from 106 °F (41 °C) on July 22, 1926, and July 15, 1995 (the highest temperature recorded in Connecticut ) down to −18 °F (−28 °C) on February 9, 1934. It's estimated that
10152-541: Was "to put money in his own coffers". The adage " there's a sucker born every minute " has frequently been attributed to him, although no evidence exists that he had coined the phrase. Barnum became a small-business owner in his early twenties and founded a weekly newspaper before moving to New York City in 1834. He embarked on an entertainment career, first with a variety troupe called "Barnum's Grand Scientific and Musical Theater", and soon after by purchasing Scudder's American Museum , which he renamed after himself. He used
10260-524: Was 60 years old, was the source of much of his enduring fame. He established P. T. Barnum's Grand Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan & Hippodrome in 1870, a traveling circus, menagerie and museum of "freaks" that adopted many names over the years. Barnum was married to Charity Hallett from 1829 until her death in 1873, and they had four children. In 1874, a few months after his wife's death, he married Nancy Fish , his friend's daughter and 40 years his junior. They were married until 1891 when Barnum died of
10368-455: Was 60 years old. He established "P. T. Barnum's Grand Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan & Hippodrome " in Delavan, Wisconsin in 1870 with William Cameron Coup . It was a traveling circus, menagerie and museum of "freaks" that assumed various names: "P. T. Barnum's Travelling World's Fair, Great Roman Hippodrome and Greatest Show on Earth", and "P. T. Barnum's Greatest Show on Earth, and
10476-451: Was 68.2% White , 25.0% Hispanic or Latino (of any race), 7.2% African American , 0.40% Native American , 6.8% Asian , less than 0.10% Pacific Islander , 7.6% from other races , and 4.5% from two or more races. 32% of the population was foreign born. Of particular note is a sizeable population of residents of Portuguese and Brazilian heritage. They are served by locally based Portuguese-language print and broadcast media. 6.7% of
10584-413: Was a Democrat—one of those nondescript Democrats, who are Northern men with Southern principles." Barnum was elected for the next four Connecticut legislature sessions and succeeded senator Orris S. Ferry . He was the legislative sponsor of an 1879 law that prohibited the use of "any drug, medicinal article or instrument for the purpose of preventing conception" and criminalized acting as an accessory to
10692-520: Was a major success, recouping Barnum four times his investment. Washington Irving proclaimed, "She is enough to counterbalance, of herself, all the evil that the world is threatened with by the great convention of women. So God save Jenny Lind!" Tickets for some of her concerts were in such demand that Barnum sold them at auction, and public enthusiasm was so strong that the press coined the term "Lind mania". The blatant commercialism of Barnum's ticket auctions distressed Lind, and she persuaded him to reserve
10800-533: Was already outlawed in New York, but Barnum exploited a loophole that allowed him to lease Heth for a year for $ 1,000, borrowing $ 500 to complete the sale. Barnum forced her to work for 10 to 12 hours per day, and she died in February 1836 at no more than 80 years of age. Barnum hosted a live autopsy of Heth's body in a New York saloon to demonstrate her actual age before spectators paying 50 cents each. Barnum had
10908-411: Was amused but saddened by Stratton, and the event was a publicity coup. It opened the door to visits with royalty throughout Europe, including the tsar of Russia , and enabled Barnum to acquire many new attractions, including automatons and other mechanical marvels. During this time, he bought other museums, including artist Rembrandt Peale 's Philadelphia Museum (the nation's first major museum), and
11016-751: Was appointed to the board of trustees of Tufts University prior to its founding. He extended several significant contributions to the school, including a gift of $ 50,000, equivalent to $ 1,635,000 in 2023, in 1883 to establish a museum, later known as Barnum Museum of Natural History , and hall for the department of natural history. Tufts made Jumbo the Elephant the school's mascot. Tufts students are known as Jumbos. On November 8, 1829, Barnum married Charity Hallett, and they had four children: Caroline Cornelia (1833–1911), Helen Maria (1840–1915), Frances Irena (1842–1844) and Pauline Taylor (1846–1877). His wife died on November 19, 1873. In 1874, he married Nancy Fish ,
11124-421: Was instrumental in the inception of Bridgeport Hospital , founded in 1878, and was its first president. Barnum enjoyed what he publicly dubbed "profitable philanthropy", saying: "If by improving and beautifying our city Bridgeport, Connecticut, and adding to the pleasure and prosperity of my neighbors, [and] I can do so at a profit, the incentive to 'good works' will be twice as strong as if it were otherwise." He
11232-506: Was one of many sites used for the incarceration of conscientious objectors . One in six inmates in the United States' federal prisons was a conscientious objector, and prisons like Danbury found themselves suddenly filled with large numbers of highly educated men skilled in social activism. Due to the activism of inmates within the prison, and local laborers protesting in solidarity with the conscientious objectors, Danbury became one of
11340-597: Was settled by colonists in 1685, when eight families moved from what are now Norwalk and Stamford, Connecticut . The Danbury area was then called Pahquioque by its namesake, the Algonquian-speaking Pahquioque Native Americans (they are believed to have been a band of the Paugusset people), who occupied lands along the Still River . Bands were often identified by such geographic designation but they were associated with
11448-424: Was sold. When Lind realized how much money she stood to earn from the tour, she insisted upon a new agreement, which Barnum signed on September 3, 1850. This paid Lind the original fee plus the remainder of each concert's profits after Barnum's $ 5,500 management fee. Lind was determined to accumulate as much money as possible for her charities. The tour began with a concert at Castle Garden on September 11, 1850. It
11556-469: Was touring on his own, and the two began another European tour. Barnum also started a lecture tour, mostly as a temperance speaker. By 1860, he emerged from debt and built a mansion that he called Lindencroft, and he resumed ownership of his museum. Barnum created America's first aquarium and expanded the wax figure section of his museum. His "Seven Grand Salons" demonstrated the Seven Wonders of
11664-530: Was widely regarded as a salacious enterprise. He wanted theaters to become palaces of edification and delight as respectable middle-class entertainment. He built New York City's largest and most modern theater, naming it the Moral Lecture Room. Barnum hoped that this would avoid seedy connotations, attract a family crowd and win the approval of the city's moral crusaders. He started the nation's first theatrical matinées to encourage families and to lessen
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