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Calvin Edson
Calvin Edson (born March 4, 1788) was an American man known for being the first well known "Living Skeleton" in American sideshows. Early life Edson was born in 1788 in Stafford, Connecticut to Eliab and Prudence Edson and the family moved to Randolph, Vermont shortly after he was born. He was one of eleven children. He had one brother, Alexander, who was also emaciated in appearance. Edson fought in the Battle of Plattsburgh as a member of the 11th Regiment. After a period of living outdoors with his regiment in 1814 he began to lose weight rapidly. He was 5 feet 3 or 4 inches tall and eventually reported to weigh only 45 pounds. Other than his emaciated appearance, he was in decent physical health. Sideshow performing Edson performed as the Living Skeleton in circus shows, wearing a tight-fitting black suit, the first popular "skeleton" performer. In 1831 he traveled to Europe where his promotional materials said that he had been "introduced to the College of Physicians and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stafford, Connecticut
Stafford is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States, settled in 1719. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region. The population was 11,472 at the 2020 United States census. The community consists of the downtown area of Stafford Springs and the more rural villages of Crystal Lake, Ellithorpe, Hydeville, Orcuttsville, Staffordville, Stafford Hollow, Village Hill, and West Stafford. Etymology The town most likely derives its name from Staffordshire, in England. History The Colonial Town of Stafford began as a rural agricultural community in the eastern part of Hartford County. It became part of Tolland County upon the latter's formation on 13 October 1785. The easy availability of water power from the tributaries of the Willimantic River led to industrialization, and this abundance of power helped generate local population growth. By the mid-19th century, Stafford was connected by railroad to markets across New England, and before the State Highway pr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Randolph, Vermont
Randolph is a town in Orange County, Vermont, United States. The population was 4,774 at the 2020 census, making Randolph the largest town in Orange County. The town is a commercial center for many of the smaller, rural farming communities that surround it. When the area was originally settled there were three villages— Randolph Center, East Randolph and West Randolph—the current locations of the three fire departments. What is now Randolph, the primary village of the town, had previously been the village of West Randolph. History Vermont granted the town on November 2, 1780, when the New Hampshire settlers could not locate the original grantees, whose patents were issued by New York. It was chartered on June 29, 1781, to Aaron Storrs and 70 others, and was originally named "Middlesex".Randolph, Vermont, Ne ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Battle Of Plattsburgh
The Battle of Plattsburgh, also known as the Battle of Lake Champlain, ended the final British invasion of the northern states of the United States during the War of 1812. Two British forces, an army under Lieutenant General Sir George Prévost and a naval squadron under Captain George Downie converged on the lakeside town of Plattsburgh, New York. Plattsburgh was defended by New York and Vermont militia and detachments of regular troops of the United States Army, all under the command of Brigadier General Alexander Macomb, and ships commanded by Master Commandant Thomas Macdonough. Downie's squadron attacked shortly after dawn on 11 September 1814, but was defeated after a hard fight in which Downie was killed. Prévost then abandoned the attack by land against Macomb's defences and retreated to Canada, stating that even if Plattsburgh was captured, any British troops there could not be supplied without control of the lake. When the battle took place, American and British ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
11th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 11th Infantry Regiment is a regiment in the United States Army. In 2007, the 11th Infantry was reflagged as the 199th Infantry Brigade, as part of the "Transformation of the US Army" effort. Today, the 11th Infantry Regiment is part of the Army's regimental system and is the primary regiment to which many Infantry School units are aligned. Earlier units called "11th Infantry Regiment" The first 11th Infantry Under the authority granted the President by the Act of 16 July 1798, to raise twelve additional regiments of infantry, the first 11th Infantry came into existence in the Army of the United States in January 1799, with Aaron Ogden as Lieutenant Colonel Commandant. It was raised for the "Quasi-War" with France but saw no war service. The Act of 20 February 1800, suspended enlistments for the new regiments. The Act of 14 May 1800, authorized the president to discharge them, and under this authority the 11th Infantry was disbanded 15 June 1800. War of 1812 The second 11t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scudder's American Museum
Scudder's American Museum was a museum located in New York City from 1810 to 1841, when it was purchased by P.T. Barnum and transformed into the very successful Barnum's American Museum. Before Scudder The roots of the museum date back to 1791, when the "American Museum" was founded by John Pintard "under the patronage of the Tammany Society."Westervelt, Harman CJohn Pintard ''The Chronotype'' (May 1873) It was located at 57 King Street, with Pintard serving as secretary and Gardner Baker (more of a showman between the two) as keeper. The museum was moved to a building at the intersection of Pearl and Broad streets by 1794 called the "Exchange". It occupied a thirty-by-sixty foot room with a high ceiling, and later opened a second room including a menagerie.Dennett, Andrea StulmanWeird and Wonderful: The Dime Museum in America pp. 14-17 (1997) It was called "Baker's American Museum" after Baker took control of it from the Tammany Society in 1795. Relying now only on ticket ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eucestoda
Eucestoda, commonly referred to as tapeworms, is the larger of the two subclasses of flatworms in the class Cestoda (the other subclass being Cestodaria). Larvae have six posterior hooks on the scolex (head), in contrast to the ten-hooked Cestodaria. All tapeworms are endoparasites of vertebrates, living in the digestive tract or related ducts. Examples are the pork tapeworm (''Taenia solium'') with a human definitive host, and pigs as the secondary host, and '' Moniezia expansa'', the definitive hosts of which are ruminants. Body structure Adult Eucestoda have a white-opaque dorso-ventrally flattened appearance, and are elongated, ranging in length from a few millimeters (about ¼") to 25 meters (80'). Almost all members, except members of the orders Caryophyllidea and Spathebothriidea, are polyzoic with repeated sets of reproductive organs down the body length, and almost all members, except members of the order Dioecocestidae, are protandral hermaphrodites. Most excep ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Barnum's American Museum
Barnum's American Museum was a dime museum located at the corner of Broadway, Park Row, and Ann Street in what is now the Financial District of Manhattan, New York City, from 1841 to 1865. The museum was owned by famous showman P. T. Barnum, who purchased Scudder's American Museum in 1841. The museum offered both strange and educational attractions and performances. Some were extremely reputable and historically or scientifically valuable, while others were less so. History In 1841, Barnum acquired the building and natural history collection of Scudder's American Museum for less than half of its appraised value with the financial support of Francis Olmsted, by quickly purchasing it the day after the soon to be buyers, the Peale Museum Company, failed to make their payment. He converted the five-story exterior into an advertisement lit with limelight. The museum opened on January 1, 1842. Its attractions made it a combination zoo, museum, lecture hall, wax museum, the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1788 Births
Events January–March * January 1 – The first edition of ''The Times'', previously ''The Daily Universal Register'', is published in London. * January 2 – Georgia ratifies the United States Constitution, and becomes the fourth U.S. state under the new government. * January 9 – Connecticut ratifies the United States Constitution, and becomes the fifth U.S. state. * January 18 – The leading ship (armed tender HMS ''Supply'') in Captain Arthur Phillip's First Fleet arrives at Botany Bay, to colonise Australia. * January 22 – The Congress of the Confederation, effectively a caretaker government until the United States Constitution can be ratified by at least nine of the 13 states, elects Cyrus Griffin as its last president.''Harper's Encyclopaedia of United States History from 458 A. D. to 1909'', ed. by Benson John Lossing and, Woodrow Wilson (Harper & Brothers, 1910) p167 * January 24 – The La Perouse expedition in the ''Astrolabe'' and '' Boussole'' arrives ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sideshow Performers
In North America, a sideshow is an extra, secondary production associated with a circus, carnival, fair, or other such attraction. They historically featured human oddity exhibits (so-called “freak shows”), preserved specimens (real or fabricated, such as the Fiji Mermaid), live animal acts, burlesque or strip shows, actually or ostensibly dangerous stunts, or stunts that appear painful like human blockhead. Most modern sideshows feature fewer to no animal acts, and have a greater focus on trainable feats or consensual body modification rather than exhibiting people with congenital disabilities, either due to changing public opinion or local laws prohibiting the exhibition of disabled people or animals. Trainable acts associated with sideshows include sword swallowing, fire breathing and manipulation, magic and visual illusions, human blockhead, knife throwing, lying on a bed of nails, contortion, and may also include an overlap with circus acts such as juggling, aerial ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
