The Golden Age
From the 1880s onwards, the circus was a prominent component of a burgeoning mass culture in the United States. The transcontinental railroad system helped to transform the circus into a complex and frenetic extravaganza. Author William Dean Howells remarked, "I'm still very fond of [the circus], but I come away defeated and defrauded…[I] have been given more than I was able to grasp." Schools and businesses would often shut down on circus day. The roads were packed and special excursion trains were scheduled to bring people from up to 50 miles away to see the show. Major circuses required ten acres or more to set up their canvas city. Likewise, the parades required more and more wagons to carry equipment and stay one float ahead of competitors.