CLS: Appalachia — Lost Circuses of Ohio

The 19th century was the golden age of the circus in Ohio. Before the Ringling brothers became synonymous with the American circus, Cincinnati’s John Robinson and the Sells brothers of Columbus wowed audiences with stunning equestrian feats and aerial exploits. For good measure, the Sells brothers threw in a sharpshooting show from a young Ohio woman by the name of Annie Oakley. The Walter L. Main Circus of Geneva and a number of smaller shows presented their own unique spectacles with exotic animals and daring acrobats. 

For all the fun and games, Ohio’s circus industry was serious business. As competition intensified, advertising wars erupted, and acquisitions began. Eventually, Ringling Brothers swallowed many of these circuses one by one, and they dropped out of memory. Author Conrade C. Hinds brings this fascinating piece of Ohio show business history back into the spotlight. 

Hinds is a registered architect, historian and retired project manager with the City of Columbus. He is a graduate of Ball State University, where he studied architecture and industrial technology. Hinds also served for 25 years as an adjunct faculty member in the Engineering Technology Department at Columbus State Community College. Originally from Nashville, he has lived in Central Ohio for nearly five decades. In addition to his work as a historian, Hinds is a 50-year veteran and teacher of the yodeling arts and a storyteller with a passion for forgotten history. He previously served on the board of the Columbus Landmarks Foundation. 

Hinds is the author of several books, including The Great Columbus Experiment of 1908 and Columbus and the Great Flood of 1913, which chronicle the events leading to the devastating flood that crippled much of the industrial Midwest. His other works include Lost Circuses of Ohio, which explores 19th-century shows such as those of the Sells Brothers of Columbus and John Robinson of Cincinnati, who competed with Barnum & Bailey Circus. His fourth book, Made in Ohio, examines the manufacturing history and inventive spirit of the Buckeye State. His newest book, Hollywood in Ohio, was released in March 2026.