Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
W.C. Coup
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Quick Facts
In full:
William Cameron Coup
Born:
1837, Mount Pleasant, Indiana, U.S.
Died:
1895, Jacksonville, Florida (aged 58)
Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

W.C. Coup

American circus manager
Also known as: William Cameron Coup
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

W.C. Coup (born 1837, Mount Pleasant, Indiana, U.S.—died 1895, Jacksonville, Florida) was an American businessman, cofounder and manager of P.T. Barnum’s “Greatest Show on Earth.”

Working his way from circus roustabout to manager, Coup, in 1872, persuaded P.T. Barnum to end his retirement and join him in starting the circus that later became “The Greatest Show on Earth.” Barnum furnished his name and capital, and Coup provided executive talent. In his first season with Barnum, Coup developed a new system of loading circus wagons onto railroad flatcars. The cars were joined by metal plates, and the circus wagons boarded from the end of the train and were moved forward toward the front rather than onto each car separately. He also arranged cut-rate railroad excursions on circus days. After he left Barnum in 1875, Coup ran an aquarium in New York City, took a circus on the road, and finally retired to a farm near Delavan, Wisconsin.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.