Have you ever heard of the story of Old Hannibal (AKA Hannibal) the elephant who visited Battle Creek Michigan in the 1850's as part of the Van Amburgh Menagerie, and while parading down Main Street fell through the wooden bridge over the Mill Race channel?  He was a 15,000 ib Asiatic elephant who toured North America for over four decades, and was larger in mass and weight than the more popular Jumbo the Elephant who traveled with PT Barnum a half century later for only 3 years.  Hannibal's story is a forgotten one from over 170 years ago, but it is a fascinating chapter in Southwest Michigan history.

To watch my video on Youtube on this subject: The Story of Old Hannibal - The Good, The Bad & The Elephant

Follow & Subscribe to my channel on YouTube