Amazing Tales from CT: The Greatest Showman on Earth - P.T. Barnum, Part 2

We encourage you to tune in to our newest program, Amazing Tales from Off and On Connecticut’s Beaten Path, which airs Sunday afternoons at 4:30 right after the Opera.

 

Amazing Tales uses a story-telling format to focus on historically significant people, places, and events from Connecticut’s past. Host Mike Allen interviews subject matter experts on a variety of historical topics.

He specializes in bringing local history to life, by using his journalism and story-telling skills with podcasting and public speaking. For 15 years, Mike worked as a radio journalist, both at NPR's Boston affiliate WBUR and as News Director at i-95 (WRKI-FM) in western Connecticut. He subsequently worked in government and corporate before retiring and starting his podcast. As a resident of Connecticut for more than 50 years, Mike also makes public appearances throughout the state, speaking on topics of local history

 

In this final episode on the life of P.T. Barnum, more seldom heard stories about his incredible exploits – including his American Museum in New York City and his Barnum & Bailey Circus – are shared by Bethel Town Historian Pat Wild (where Barnum was born) and Danbury Museum and Historical Society Executive Director Brigid Guertin (where Barnum spent much of his early years). You'll hear about the way devastating fires impacted him time and time again, the rare story behind his major attraction Jumbo the elephant, and the touching final visit this iconic showman paid from his later hometown of Bridgeport to his native birthplace of Bethel, not long before his death.