This Iowa waterfront witnessed the most expensive animal rescue in circus history

Dan Rice’s Miraculous Rhinoceros Rescue at Dubuque

Before P. T. Barnum ruled the circus world, Dan Rice was America’s clown king.

In August 1861, disaster struck when the steamer Key City crashed into Rice’s circus boat near Dubuque, Iowa. His prized rhinoceros—worth a staggering $20,000 with no insurance—tumbled overboard in its cage and sank.

Everyone thought the rare beast was gone for good. Then, a few days later, the impossible happened.

A clerk spotted the rhino fighting to free itself from a wharf boat chain on the Dubuque waterfront.

The tale of this amazing rescue still echoes along the Mississippi, where you can visit the National River Museum to see what circus steamboat life was really like.

From Jockey to Clown: Dan Rice’s Surprising Start

Dan McLaren was born in Manhattan in 1823 to a rich family. He started in show business early, working as a jockey at just 9 years old.

At 17, he moved to Pittsburgh to make his own way. His first circus act came in 1841 with a trained pig named Sybil.

The next year, he married Margaret Ann Curran.

His career took off in 1844 when he joined Spaulding’s North American Circus, making $15 weekly for his acts.

The Crowd Loved His Mix of Comedy and Politics

Dan Rice first worked as a circus clown in Galena, Illinois in 1844.

Crowds quickly fell for his fresh style that mixed animal acts, funny jokes, political humor, and crowd talk. His name spread across America as people enjoyed his unique approach.

By 1848, he ran his own show called “Dan Rice’s Great Show. ” When people teased him for having just one horse, he smartly created the term “One Horse Show.

His Winter Home Base Had Perfect Canal Access

Animal trainer Agrippa Martin asked Rice to come to Girard, Pennsylvania in 1852. Rice picked this town for his winter base because it sat right next to the Erie Extension Canal.

To win over locals who worried about a circus in town, he built a fancy house on the town square. He also built round barns to train his animals.

His first full circus arrived on canal boats in October 1853.

His Animals Could Do Things No One Had Seen Before

By the 1860s, Rice earned $1,000 weekly, twice what President Lincoln made. He owned and trained the first rhino in America since Roman times.

His show starred an elephant that walked on a tightrope and a blind horse named Excelsior that climbed stairs. People called his show the “Greatest Show on Earth” long before Barnum used that slogan.

Rice took his amazing animal acts up and down the Mississippi and Ohio rivers on a steamboat circus.

His Floating Circus Created a Buzz in River Towns

Rice used the canal linking Girard to Lake Erie to load his circus steamboat. This let him take shows to towns along the Great Lakes and Mississippi River.

Though these floating circuses rarely made much money, they always caused excitement when they arrived in town. Crowds rushed to the docks to see the animals and performers.

Rice set up a regular route along these waterways, bringing shows to places that rarely saw such entertainment.

A Costly Rhino Was at Risk on the Mississippi

In August 1861, Dan Rice’s circus boat moved upriver from Dubuque with valuable cargo on board. His trained rhino alone was worth $20,000, more than most people paid for their homes then.

Rice took a big risk traveling with such a pricey animal since he had no insurance on it. The river filled with boats that summer day, making the waterway crowded and risky.

As another steamer came near, the crew saw trouble ahead but couldn’t stop it.

The Key City Crash Sent the Rhino Cage Overboard

The steamer Key City crashed into Rice’s circus boat, causing chaos on deck.

The crash knocked the rhino cage off the boat and into the Mississippi River with the animal still locked inside. Everyone who saw it happen thought the rhino must have drowned right away.

This meant a huge money loss for Rice’s circus, which already worked on tight budgets. Word about the accident spread fast among river towns, with many feeling sorry for the famous showman’s bad luck.

People Started Spotting Something Strange in the River

A few days after the crash, folks began talking about seeing a rhino along the river. Local farmers and dock workers claimed they spotted a massive animal near the riverbank.

Each story differed slightly, but they all mentioned a huge creature moving around the waterfront. Rice likely offered money to anyone who could help find his missing animal.

With each new sighting, hope grew that his valuable performer might have somehow survived the accident.

A Clerk Found the Trapped Animal at the Dubuque Docks

A packet company clerk walked along the Dubuque waterfront and got the shock of his life. There was Rice’s rhino, still alive but stuck in a terrible spot.

The poor animal fought to free itself from a wharf boat buoy chain that had caught its floating cage. The rhino had been trapped for days without food or water but somehow stayed alive.

The cage had floated downstream after the crash and got tangled in the chains at the dock.

Saving a Rhino From Drowning Took Serious Teamwork

Rice’s circus crew rushed to free the rhinoceros from the buoy chain. The animal looked worn out but was still breathing after days trapped in the floating cage.

They carefully worked to release it without causing more stress to the already exhausted creature. Once freed, they brought the rhino back to safe ground and started nursing it back to health.

Against all odds, the animal recovered and later returned to performing in Rice’s shows.

The Story of the Rhino That Wouldn’t Die

The tale of the rhinoceros rescue spread through river towns faster than the Mississippi current. People talked about it for years, adding to Dan Rice’s fame as a master animal trainer.

The story showed how tough both Rice and his animals were when facing disaster. Circus folks told and retold the tale to new performers joining the circuit.

The amazing survival story helped keep steamboat circuses popular even though everyone knew how dangerous river travel could be.

Visiting Dubuque, Iowa

You can learn about Dan Rice’s famous rhinoceros rescue at the National Mississippi River Museum at 350 East 3rd Street in Dubuque.

The museum sits right at the historic Port of Dubuque Ice Harbor where circus steamboats like Rice’s once docked. General admission costs $25.95 for adults and includes free second-day entry.

The museum opens daily 9am-5pm from May 24 through November 1, 2025.

You can also take riverboat cruises from the same port.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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