Monadnock Moments No. 43: P. T. Barnum's Woolly Wonder

In 1842 the famous circus showman P.T. Barnum made an announcement that a special expedition to the wild Rocky Mountains had captured “a new wonder of the world, strange and unique beyond description.”  This new wonder was a horse covered with wool, like sheep’s wool, rather than hair.  Barnum announced that the horse would soon be delivered to his New York museum for exhibition.

While Barnum’s claim that the horse was covered with a woolly substance was true, his publicity about the creature’s capture in the wild Rockies was not quite accurate.  In truth, the horse was born and bred on the farm of a Mr. Goodrich of Chesterfield, New Hampshire.  Goodrich sold the horse to John Stearns, a horse dealer from Hinsdale.  Stearns kept the horse on his farm and frequently used the animal to drive in to the village.  Word of the freak reached Barnum and he purchased the horse for $100.

Barnum delayed delivery of the woolly wonder to New York for several weeks so that he could properly arouse the public with his fantastic publicity, including the statement that the horse had been captured “at the risk of life and limb among the snow-capped impassable crags of the wildest mountains in America.”  In a short time the woolly creature was quietly delivered from Hinsdale to New York where P.T. Barnum undoubtedly realized a handsome profit on his $100 investment.