Bears Performing on Main Street in Reynoldsville
Submitted by Jean
Miller, great granddaughter of John Cormick Dillman
Bears performing on main street in Reynoldsville, Jefferson county, PA.
Several troupes of Mountebanks with trained bears visited this area each spring
beginning sometime around 1890 and making their yearly tour until around 1900.
Most of the bear man were from Eastern Europe. The animals were brown bears
of Europe called Ursus Arctos.
The bear men were twins and were tall and slim with long brown beards. The
bears were full brother and sister. They traveled from Pittsburgh and proceeded
as far east as Tyrone.
The building in the background is of the Hotel Belnap, under the
proprietorship of John Cormick Dillman at that
time. It is possible that he is the man on the balcony.
Photo from scrapbook of Charles William Dillman of
Dubois, Clearfield County, PA.
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