Guide to the Joseph Andrew Rowe Papers, 1857-1861

Processed by The California State Library staff; machine-readable finding aid created by Xiuzhi Zhou

California History Room

California State Library

Library and Courts Building II

900 N. Street, Room 200

P.O. Box 942837

Sacramento, California 94237-0001

Phone: (916) 654-0176

Fax: (916) 654-8777

Email: cslcal@library.ca.gov

URL: http://www.library.ca.gov/

Guide to the Joseph Andrew Rowe Papers, 1857-1861

California State Library

Sacramento, California

Contact Information:

California History Room
California State Library
Library and Courts Building II
900 N. Street, Room 200
P.O. Box 942837
Sacramento, California 94237-0001
Phone: (916) 654-0176
Fax: (916) 654-8777
Email: cslcal@library.ca.gov
URL: http://www.library.ca.gov/

Processed by:: The California State Library staff
Encoded by:: Xiuzhi Zhou

Descriptive Summary

Title: Joseph Andrew Rowe Papers,

Date (inclusive): 1857-1861

Box Number: 293

Creator: Rowe, Joseph Andrew, 1819-1887

Extent: 1 box

Repository: California State Library

Sacramento, California

Language: English.

Administrative Information

Access

Unrestricted.

Conditions of Use

Please credit California State Library.

Publication Rights

Copyright has not been assigned to California State Library. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing. Permission for publication is given on behalf of California State Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Joseph Andrew Rowe Papers, California State Library.

Access Points

Rowe, Joseph Andrew, 1819-1887

Circus owners--California

Circus--California--San Francisco

Contents

Correspondence, bills and other papers of Rowe and his associates.

Biography

Joseph A. Rowe was born in North Carolina in 1819 and joined a circus company in 1829 as a child performer. In 1837, he became independent, engaging in various circus activities, and touring the east coast and South America. In 1849 he came to San Francisco and gave the first circus entertainment. In 1851, he went to Australia, returning a rich man in 1854. In 1854, he purchased the Rancho Sant Anita near Los Angeles, living there for several years. In 1856, he assembled a new company, the Pioneer Circus; however, a combination of hard times and stiff competition drove the company into bankruptcy in 1857. At this point, a business friend, John Center, purchased the circus and resold it to Rowe at a fair price. In 1860, Rowe again toured Australia, this time unsuccessfully. After 1867, he worked at various jobs, dying in obscurity in San Francisco, November 5, 1887.

Correspondents

Major Correspondents

Alexander, John
Center, David
Center, James
Center, John
Franklin, H. W.
Malloney, Henry C.
Rowe, John A.

Other Correspondents

Austin, Nat
Field, Stephen A.
Gillim, Francis
Hancock, Henry
Hutchings, John
Hutchings, Thomas
Johnson, Chas. B.
Johnson, Orrick
Kimbal, M.
Lee, H. C.
Peoples, George
Rhoades, Thos. W.
Stocker, J. T.
Sutton Joseph
Thorne, J. W.

Box 293

Correspondence arranged chronologically