Johnstown Mastodon

The Johnstown Mastodon is recognized by paleontologists as one of the best mastodon specimens ever recovered. It has been determined that the Johnstown Mastodon is the skeleton of a young male that was about 19 years old when it died. Injuries to its backbone, left hip and ribs are evident, as is arthritis of the spine.

An Amazing Discovery

The Johnstown Mastodon was discovered by tenant farmer James Bailey, on land belonging to Friend Butt, on August 12, 1926. Bailey contacted the Ohio State Archaeological Museum, which sent Dr. H.R. Goodwin to the site. In turn, Goodwin called upon other Ohio State University scientists.

The experts positively identified the remains as belonging to a mastodon; however, Bailey and Butt would not turn the specimen over to the Archaeological Museum. When word of the discovery got out, people flocked to the farm outside Johnstown. On certain days, thousands of spectators were reported to have shown up, paying an admission or parking fee of 10 to 25 cents, to Bailey and Butt.

Soon, the sideshow attraction went big-time. The site and the remains were sold to Max Hirschberg of New Jersey and his several partners. Hirschberg became a promoter, impresario and site superintendent as the bones were excavated. He generated prolonged publicity that continued to draw large crowds well into the autumn. Signs were erected in Johnstown to direct tourists to the site; concession stands with popcorn and lemonade served the onlookers; electric lights were strung around the excavation; a showcase was set up to display the smaller bones; and a ticket booth and a telephone were installed.

Newspaper accounts quoted Hirschberg speculating how some of the bones found at the site belonged to a second animal, which he claimed was a dinosaur. He postulated that the two extinct creatures had engaged in mortal combat––an impossible feat, since dinosaurs were extinct long before mastodons appeared. Yet, the erroneous statement generated more publicity and brought out the crowds.

Dr. J. Ernest Carman, a geologist, was one of the first Ohio State University experts at the site, but he, like everyone else from the Ohio State Archaeological Museum and University, could only watch from the sidelines as sensational and preposterous information came out of the Hirschberg camp.

The Johnston Mastodon Comes to Cleveland

The excavation continued into October 1926. Once the crowds declined, Hirschberg decided to sell his rights to the bones. In November, Hirschberg wrote to Director Paul Rea of The Cleveland Museum of Natural History. The Museum was interested in acquiring the remains for its collections, but did not have the funds.

In mid-December, Rae’s assistant, Edgar Bowerfind, received a telephone call from M.F. Bramley, president of the Cleveland Trinidad Paving Company, who offered to buy the mastodon for the Museum. Bramley requested, in return, that the Museum allow him to exhibit the mastodon at Luna Park, an amusement park in the Cleveland area. The donation was finalized before the year’s end.

The Johnston Mastodon only spent one summer season at Luna Park. Today, the mounted mastodon is on permanent display at The Cleveland Museum of Natural History where it is exhibited opposite the mounted skeleton of a mammoth, its fellow Ice Age inhabitant.