Old Bet was either the first or second elephant brought to the United States. There are reports of an elephant brought to the United States in 1796, but it is not known for certain that this was the elephant that was later named Old Bet.

Biography

The second elephant brought to the United States was in 1796, but it is not know with certainty that this was Old Bet. The first references to Old Bet start in 1804 in Boston

Boston

Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

 as part of a menagerie

Menagerie

A menagerie is/was a form of keeping common and exotic animals in captivity that preceded the modern zoological garden. The term was first used in seventeenth century France in reference to the management of household or domestic stock. Later, it came to be used primarily in reference to...

. In 1808, while residing in Somers, New York

Somers, New York

Somers is a town located in northeastern Westchester County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 20,434...

, Hachaliah Bailey

Hachaliah Bailey

Hachaliah Bailey is the eponym of Bailey's Crossroads, Virginia and a relative to several famous individuals involved in early American circuses...

 purchased the menagerie elephant for $1,000 and named it "Old Bet".

On July 24, 1816, Old Bet was killed while on tour near Alfred, Maine

Alfred, Maine

Alfred is a town in York County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 2,497. Alfred is the county seat of York County and home to part of the Massabesic Experimental Forest...

 by a farmer who shot her, and was later convicted of the crime. The farmer thought it was sinful for people to pay to see an animal.

Legacy

In 1821, the Barnum's American Museum

Barnum's American Museum

Barnum's American Museum was located at the corner of Broadway and Ann Street in New York City, USA, from 1841 to 1865. The museum was owned by famous showman P.T. Barnum and his partner and original owner, John Scudder. Prior to their partnership, the museum was known as Scudder's American...

 in New York announced that they had bought the hide and bones of Old Bet and would mount the remains at the museum. The elephant was memorialized in 1825 with a statue and the Elephant Hotel

Elephant Hotel

You may be looking for the Coney Island elephant hotel, also known as Lucy the Elephant.The Elephant Hotel is a National Historic Landmark located in Somers, New York, a town in Westchester County, New York, USA. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 as Somers Town...

 in Somers, New York

Somers, New York

Somers is a town located in northeastern Westchester County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 20,434...

. In 1922 the elephant John L. Sullivan

John L. Sullivan (elephant)

John L. Sullivan, , was a tuskless, male Asian elephant, was a performer in the Adam Forepaugh Circus and, later, in the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus.-Biography:...

 walked 53 miles to lay a wreath for the memory of Old Bet in Somers, New York

Somers, New York

Somers is a town located in northeastern Westchester County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 20,434...

.