History
The Elephant Hotel was established by Hachaliah Bailey after he bought an African Elephant, which he named "Old Bet". Bailey intended to use the elephant for farm work but the number of people it attracted caused Bailey to take her throughout the northeast. Bailey's success caused numerous others to tour with exotic animals, and during the 1830s the old style circus and Bailey's attractions merged to form the modern circus. Due to this, Somers is known as the "Cradle of the American Circus."
Old Bet died on tour in 1827. It is also said that Old Bet was buried in front of this building. Bailey later erected the Elephant Hotel in Somers in honor of Old Bet, and it was purchased by the town in 1927. It is a town landmark and was dedicated a National Historic Landmark in 2005.
The Elephant Hotel is currently the Somers Town Hall. It is located at 335 US 202, across from the northern end of NY 100.
The NRHP listing is described in its NRHP nomination document.
Read more about this topic: Elephant Hotel
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“I cannot be much pleased without an appearance of truth; at least of possibility—I wish the history to be natural though the sentiments are refined; and the characters to be probable, though their behaviour is excelling.”
—Frances Burney (1752–1840)
“There is one great fact, characteristic of this our nineteenth century, a fact which no party dares deny. On the one hand, there have started into life industrial and scientific forces which no epoch of former human history had ever suspected. On the other hand, there exist symptoms of decay, far surpassing the horrors recorded of the latter times of the Roman empire. In our days everything seems pregnant with its contrary.”
—Karl Marx (1818–1883)
“The history of a soldier’s wound beguiles the pain of it.”
—Laurence Sterne (1713–1768)