Circus Owner∼Circusman and founder of the Barnes's Circus, he started in the business in 1895 with a phonograph and a pony. He always opened the circus parade riding on a large elephant. In 1929 Barnes sold his interests to John Ringling for $1,000,000. Barnes died from complications of pneumonia.
88560725
Daughter, Rosemary Barnes Harrison, died in San Bernardino, CA, still searching for her burial records.∼As a boy, Barnes worked on a farm and later married Dolly Barlow and they set up a small wagon show. Encouraged by his success, Barnes sold the farm for $2,700 which added to the shows profits, enabling him to consolidate several small shows. From this small beginning Barnes developed to a point where in the recent accumulation of circuses by the Ringling Brothers he was able to realize a sum of approximately $1,000,000. Barnes first wife Dolly lived in Glendale, CA, his second wife and mother of his three children lived in Santa Monica and his third wife Margaret, was with him when he died.
Barnes was one of the best known men in the circus field because of his picturesque personality and his penchant for legislation, mostly domestic. He was picturesque, forceful and a born showman.
Variety Obituary, July 28, 1931.∼Alpheus George Barnes Stonehouse, Sr. was the owner of the Al G. Barnes Circus.
Barnes was born to Thomas S. Stonehouse (1826-1882) and Sarah Barnes (1825-1883). He then married Dollie Arminta Barlow and she filed for divorce in 1916.
He started a relationship with Babe Eckhart. She played the calliope in his circus. When he refused to marry her, she shot herself just outside of his private railroad car in Idaho in 1919.
In 1922 his divorce from Dollie Arminta was granted. He then married Sarah Jane Hartigan and they had three children before they would divorced. He lastly married Margaret Goldsboro.
In January 1929, he sold his circus to the American Circus Corporation.
He died on July 25, 1931 in Indio, California. He had been ill for most of the past year with pneumonia.
88560725
Daughter, Rosemary Barnes Harrison, died in San Bernardino, CA, still searching for her burial records.∼As a boy, Barnes worked on a farm and later married Dolly Barlow and they set up a small wagon show. Encouraged by his success, Barnes sold the farm for $2,700 which added to the shows profits, enabling him to consolidate several small shows. From this small beginning Barnes developed to a point where in the recent accumulation of circuses by the Ringling Brothers he was able to realize a sum of approximately $1,000,000. Barnes first wife Dolly lived in Glendale, CA, his second wife and mother of his three children lived in Santa Monica and his third wife Margaret, was with him when he died.
Barnes was one of the best known men in the circus field because of his picturesque personality and his penchant for legislation, mostly domestic. He was picturesque, forceful and a born showman.
Variety Obituary, July 28, 1931.∼Alpheus George Barnes Stonehouse, Sr. was the owner of the Al G. Barnes Circus.
Barnes was born to Thomas S. Stonehouse (1826-1882) and Sarah Barnes (1825-1883). He then married Dollie Arminta Barlow and she filed for divorce in 1916.
He started a relationship with Babe Eckhart. She played the calliope in his circus. When he refused to marry her, she shot herself just outside of his private railroad car in Idaho in 1919.
In 1922 his divorce from Dollie Arminta was granted. He then married Sarah Jane Hartigan and they had three children before they would divorced. He lastly married Margaret Goldsboro.
In January 1929, he sold his circus to the American Circus Corporation.
He died on July 25, 1931 in Indio, California. He had been ill for most of the past year with pneumonia.
Circus Owner∼Circusman and founder of the Barnes's Circus, he started in the business in 1895 with a phonograph and a pony. He always opened the circus parade riding on a large elephant. In 1929 Barnes sold his interests to John Ringling for $1,000,000. Barnes died from complications of pneumonia.
88560725
Daughter, Rosemary Barnes Harrison, died in San Bernardino, CA, still searching for her burial records.∼As a boy, Barnes worked on a farm and later married Dolly Barlow and they set up a small wagon show. Encouraged by his success, Barnes sold the farm for $2,700 which added to the shows profits, enabling him to consolidate several small shows. From this small beginning Barnes developed to a point where in the recent accumulation of circuses by the Ringling Brothers he was able to realize a sum of approximately $1,000,000. Barnes first wife Dolly lived in Glendale, CA, his second wife and mother of his three children lived in Santa Monica and his third wife Margaret, was with him when he died.
Barnes was one of the best known men in the circus field because of his picturesque personality and his penchant for legislation, mostly domestic. He was picturesque, forceful and a born showman.
Variety Obituary, July 28, 1931.∼Alpheus George Barnes Stonehouse, Sr. was the owner of the Al G. Barnes Circus.
Barnes was born to Thomas S. Stonehouse (1826-1882) and Sarah Barnes (1825-1883). He then married Dollie Arminta Barlow and she filed for divorce in 1916.
He started a relationship with Babe Eckhart. She played the calliope in his circus. When he refused to marry her, she shot herself just outside of his private railroad car in Idaho in 1919.
In 1922 his divorce from Dollie Arminta was granted. He then married Sarah Jane Hartigan and they had three children before they would divorced. He lastly married Margaret Goldsboro.
In January 1929, he sold his circus to the American Circus Corporation.
He died on July 25, 1931 in Indio, California. He had been ill for most of the past year with pneumonia.
88560725
Daughter, Rosemary Barnes Harrison, died in San Bernardino, CA, still searching for her burial records.∼As a boy, Barnes worked on a farm and later married Dolly Barlow and they set up a small wagon show. Encouraged by his success, Barnes sold the farm for $2,700 which added to the shows profits, enabling him to consolidate several small shows. From this small beginning Barnes developed to a point where in the recent accumulation of circuses by the Ringling Brothers he was able to realize a sum of approximately $1,000,000. Barnes first wife Dolly lived in Glendale, CA, his second wife and mother of his three children lived in Santa Monica and his third wife Margaret, was with him when he died.
Barnes was one of the best known men in the circus field because of his picturesque personality and his penchant for legislation, mostly domestic. He was picturesque, forceful and a born showman.
Variety Obituary, July 28, 1931.∼Alpheus George Barnes Stonehouse, Sr. was the owner of the Al G. Barnes Circus.
Barnes was born to Thomas S. Stonehouse (1826-1882) and Sarah Barnes (1825-1883). He then married Dollie Arminta Barlow and she filed for divorce in 1916.
He started a relationship with Babe Eckhart. She played the calliope in his circus. When he refused to marry her, she shot herself just outside of his private railroad car in Idaho in 1919.
In 1922 his divorce from Dollie Arminta was granted. He then married Sarah Jane Hartigan and they had three children before they would divorced. He lastly married Margaret Goldsboro.
In January 1929, he sold his circus to the American Circus Corporation.
He died on July 25, 1931 in Indio, California. He had been ill for most of the past year with pneumonia.
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