William P. Hall Animal Farm in United States

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William P. Hall Animal Farm
Two young elephants, and possibly Halls two daughters, Sidney and Wilma, in the early 1900’s.
Type	dealer

Owner	-1932: William P. Hall 1932-: William P. Hall Jr.
First elephant arrived	1905
Last elephant left	1935
Place	Lancaster
District	Schuyler County
State	Missouri
Country	United States

Directors	, Missouri

Key People

Veterinarians

Elephant department

Head keepers of elephants	1925-1929: William Woodcock Sr. (elephant trainer) 1933-1935: William Woodcock Sr. (elephant trainer)

Elephant keepers
Google map

The bull to the right is "Old Major" who arrived at the farm in 1926.
Relevant literature

Description

William P. Hall Animal Farm, in Lancaster, Missouri, United States and the first elephant arrived in 1905. The last elephant left in 1935.

Comments / picturesWilliam Preston Hall ("The Colonel", "Diamond Bill", "Horse King of the World") was born in Schuyler County, Missouri, near Lancaster, on February 29, 1864, and one of eight children. His mother died when he was 10, and his father died when he was only 14.

Hall had a 160 acres farm where he kept and bred mules and horses, delivering to, among others, American Express Company, as well as mules to the South African army during the Boer wars. Hall was considered to be the developer of the Missouri Mule.

1904: he visited the St. Louis Worlds Fair in order to sell mules for the Boer War show, and bought two camels from the Carl Hagenbeck show. The Boer War show also made winter quarter at his farm this year, and in the fall he bought the broke Harris Nickel Plate show, and later the Walter L. Main Circus which became next year his own circus.

1905: William P. Hall Circus (The Great William P. Hall Shows - Double Menagerie - Colossal Circus - Elevated Stages and Real Roman Hippodrome).
1905: He built the elephant barns in 1905, and later everything from horses, mules, lions, tigers, camels, and elephants were bought, trained and sold to Circuses.

1908: he sold 100 horses to Ben Wallace (Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus). The horse stock sometimes numbered over 2 000 horses.

1909: He also bought the Lemon Brothers Circus in 1909.

Especially the imports of elephants from India during 1905, 1913, 1914, 1915 rendered him as one of the larger suppliers of elephants to American Circuses, and during the 20s and 30 he used to keep 20-30 elephants on his farm, not only importing elephants but also buying, training, and selling circus elephants in America.

1920: W. P. Hall has sold to the Campbell, Bailey & Hutchinson Show four car loads of circus wagons, two elephants an d a car load of horses. Mr. Hill is also shipping a car load of dapple grays to Charles Sparks at Macon, Ga. Mr. Hall receives orders for horses every day from show people in this as well as foreign countries. A cablegram was received last week from Hamburg, Germany, announcing the safe arrival of a large shipment of horses. (Billboard 1920)

1923: Import of eight Asian elephants from Firma Ruhe.

1932: Colonel William P. Hall, 69, died at his home in Lancaster, Missouri, June 29, 1932 at the age of 68, and his widow and his son William P. Hall Jr. (Billy) took over the farm, assisted by an old friend, Bert McClain. (Mr Hall also had two daughters, Sidney and Wilma)

1933: In September, Charles Webb purchased three elephants for his Russell Bros. Circus

1934: Zack Terrell bought 3 elephants, and in the same year Cole Show bought in 1934 7 elephants for 1 000 $ each, and and in 1935 another 9+15 elephants, and after the season the final three elephants at the farm (including old Major). William Woodcock Sr bought Major, and he was sold to Cole Bros, where he was shot by Omer Cole with a rifle in 1936, after he became uncontrollable.

The William P. Hall House Museum and Schuyler County Historical Society is located on Highway 136 in Lancaster. The museum is open Wednesday through Friday from 1 p.m to 5 p.m. or by appointment. For more information follow Schuyler County Historical Society on Facebook or email schuylercountyhistory@gmail.com.

References for records about William P. Hall Animal Farm

Recommended Citation

Koehl, Dan (2023). William P. Hall Animal Farm, Elephant Encyclopedia. Available online at https://www.elephant.se/location2.php?location_id=610. (archived at the Wayback machine)

Sources used for this article is among others:

Elephants and Egotists by Patricia Sumerling
Fred D. Pfening, Bandwagon, Vol. 10, No. 6 (Nov-Dec), 1966
https://www.nemonews.net/2021/08/03/discover-lancasters-surprising-history/
Billboard 1920 http://www.classic.circushistory.org/History/Billboard1920.htm

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