The World of Edwin Smith

Edwin Smith was a nineteenth-century pioneer. He was born in New York, grew up in Ohio, and lived his adult life in Michigan. Edwin sought out the goldfields of California in 1861 and found no gold but returned to the Midwest with a long beard, which he loved dearly. At one time, he was described as the man with the longest beard in the world. The length of his beard led P. T. Barnum to seek him out and employ him as part of his Greatest Show on Earth circus. Edwin was a sideshow performer during the 1881 circus tour, which traveled from New York to Texas all by train and rail. Hopefully young people will enjoy Edwin’s adventures and his life.