Circus Owner, Civil War Nurse, Entertainer. Married James Augustus (Gus) Bailey in 1858. Her circus show was known as a "Texas Show for Texas People" and was later called the Mollie A. Bailey show. She was Known as the "Circus Queen of the Southwest". Mollie married A. H. "Blackie" Hardesty, a circus employee after Gus died.
Gus wrote the song "The Old Gray Mare" for Mollie. Mollie took care of her dying daughter, Birda Bailey Dickens. Birda is buried at the Hollywood Cemetery.
Mollie is the 2nd. great grandmother to my children.
Mollie Bailey began her long circus career when she and her husband formed the Bailey Family Troupe just prior to the Civil War. During the war, her husband Gus served as bandmaster for a company of Hood's Texas Brigade. Mollie traveled with the brigade as a nurse, and legend has it that she also served as a spy for Gen. John Bell Hood and Jubal A. Early. The Bailey Family Troupe came to Texas in 1879, where it was renamed the Bailey Circus. The circus became the Mollie A. Bailey Show after her husband's failing health required his retirement. Mollie ran the very successful enterprise, which at its zenith had thirty-one wagons and about two hundred animals. She continued to operate the circus until her death and was known for her generosity to Civil War veterans, various church organization, and children who could not afford the price of admission.∼Daughter of R. L. Kirkland, she was 82 and her occupation was show business according to her death certificate.
Houston Post, 4 Oct 1918, page 7
MRS. A. H. HARDESTY.
The funeral of Mrs. A. H. Hardesty, better known as Molly Bailey, who died Wednesday afternoon, was held from St. Joseph's church at 4 o'clock Thursday afternoon. Rev. Father Banfield officiated and burial was in Holy Cross cemetery. The pallbearers were as follows: Ira P. Jones, F. B. Dwyer, C. A. Lillianthal, J. A. Hahn, H. F. Gehring and John Draper.
Honey Grove Signal
Honey Grove, Texas
Fri., Oct. 11, 1918
Houston, Texas, Oct. 2--Mrs. A. D. Hardesty, widely known as Mollie Bailey, pioneer Texas show woman, died today. She was 82 years old and started in the business at 16. For years she traveled with shows through the South. Mrs. Hardesty was a nurse in the Confederate army.∼Father: R L Kirkland
Mother:
Gus wrote the song "The Old Gray Mare" for Mollie. Mollie took care of her dying daughter, Birda Bailey Dickens. Birda is buried at the Hollywood Cemetery.
Mollie is the 2nd. great grandmother to my children.
Mollie Bailey began her long circus career when she and her husband formed the Bailey Family Troupe just prior to the Civil War. During the war, her husband Gus served as bandmaster for a company of Hood's Texas Brigade. Mollie traveled with the brigade as a nurse, and legend has it that she also served as a spy for Gen. John Bell Hood and Jubal A. Early. The Bailey Family Troupe came to Texas in 1879, where it was renamed the Bailey Circus. The circus became the Mollie A. Bailey Show after her husband's failing health required his retirement. Mollie ran the very successful enterprise, which at its zenith had thirty-one wagons and about two hundred animals. She continued to operate the circus until her death and was known for her generosity to Civil War veterans, various church organization, and children who could not afford the price of admission.∼Daughter of R. L. Kirkland, she was 82 and her occupation was show business according to her death certificate.
Houston Post, 4 Oct 1918, page 7
MRS. A. H. HARDESTY.
The funeral of Mrs. A. H. Hardesty, better known as Molly Bailey, who died Wednesday afternoon, was held from St. Joseph's church at 4 o'clock Thursday afternoon. Rev. Father Banfield officiated and burial was in Holy Cross cemetery. The pallbearers were as follows: Ira P. Jones, F. B. Dwyer, C. A. Lillianthal, J. A. Hahn, H. F. Gehring and John Draper.
Honey Grove Signal
Honey Grove, Texas
Fri., Oct. 11, 1918
Houston, Texas, Oct. 2--Mrs. A. D. Hardesty, widely known as Mollie Bailey, pioneer Texas show woman, died today. She was 82 years old and started in the business at 16. For years she traveled with shows through the South. Mrs. Hardesty was a nurse in the Confederate army.∼Father: R L Kirkland
Mother:
Circus Owner, Civil War Nurse, Entertainer. Married James Augustus (Gus) Bailey in 1858. Her circus show was known as a "Texas Show for Texas People" and was later called the Mollie A. Bailey show. She was Known as the "Circus Queen of the Southwest". Mollie married A. H. "Blackie" Hardesty, a circus employee after Gus died.
Gus wrote the song "The Old Gray Mare" for Mollie. Mollie took care of her dying daughter, Birda Bailey Dickens. Birda is buried at the Hollywood Cemetery.
Mollie is the 2nd. great grandmother to my children.
Mollie Bailey began her long circus career when she and her husband formed the Bailey Family Troupe just prior to the Civil War. During the war, her husband Gus served as bandmaster for a company of Hood's Texas Brigade. Mollie traveled with the brigade as a nurse, and legend has it that she also served as a spy for Gen. John Bell Hood and Jubal A. Early. The Bailey Family Troupe came to Texas in 1879, where it was renamed the Bailey Circus. The circus became the Mollie A. Bailey Show after her husband's failing health required his retirement. Mollie ran the very successful enterprise, which at its zenith had thirty-one wagons and about two hundred animals. She continued to operate the circus until her death and was known for her generosity to Civil War veterans, various church organization, and children who could not afford the price of admission.∼Daughter of R. L. Kirkland, she was 82 and her occupation was show business according to her death certificate.
Houston Post, 4 Oct 1918, page 7
MRS. A. H. HARDESTY.
The funeral of Mrs. A. H. Hardesty, better known as Molly Bailey, who died Wednesday afternoon, was held from St. Joseph's church at 4 o'clock Thursday afternoon. Rev. Father Banfield officiated and burial was in Holy Cross cemetery. The pallbearers were as follows: Ira P. Jones, F. B. Dwyer, C. A. Lillianthal, J. A. Hahn, H. F. Gehring and John Draper.
Honey Grove Signal
Honey Grove, Texas
Fri., Oct. 11, 1918
Houston, Texas, Oct. 2--Mrs. A. D. Hardesty, widely known as Mollie Bailey, pioneer Texas show woman, died today. She was 82 years old and started in the business at 16. For years she traveled with shows through the South. Mrs. Hardesty was a nurse in the Confederate army.∼Father: R L Kirkland
Mother:
Gus wrote the song "The Old Gray Mare" for Mollie. Mollie took care of her dying daughter, Birda Bailey Dickens. Birda is buried at the Hollywood Cemetery.
Mollie is the 2nd. great grandmother to my children.
Mollie Bailey began her long circus career when she and her husband formed the Bailey Family Troupe just prior to the Civil War. During the war, her husband Gus served as bandmaster for a company of Hood's Texas Brigade. Mollie traveled with the brigade as a nurse, and legend has it that she also served as a spy for Gen. John Bell Hood and Jubal A. Early. The Bailey Family Troupe came to Texas in 1879, where it was renamed the Bailey Circus. The circus became the Mollie A. Bailey Show after her husband's failing health required his retirement. Mollie ran the very successful enterprise, which at its zenith had thirty-one wagons and about two hundred animals. She continued to operate the circus until her death and was known for her generosity to Civil War veterans, various church organization, and children who could not afford the price of admission.∼Daughter of R. L. Kirkland, she was 82 and her occupation was show business according to her death certificate.
Houston Post, 4 Oct 1918, page 7
MRS. A. H. HARDESTY.
The funeral of Mrs. A. H. Hardesty, better known as Molly Bailey, who died Wednesday afternoon, was held from St. Joseph's church at 4 o'clock Thursday afternoon. Rev. Father Banfield officiated and burial was in Holy Cross cemetery. The pallbearers were as follows: Ira P. Jones, F. B. Dwyer, C. A. Lillianthal, J. A. Hahn, H. F. Gehring and John Draper.
Honey Grove Signal
Honey Grove, Texas
Fri., Oct. 11, 1918
Houston, Texas, Oct. 2--Mrs. A. D. Hardesty, widely known as Mollie Bailey, pioneer Texas show woman, died today. She was 82 years old and started in the business at 16. For years she traveled with shows through the South. Mrs. Hardesty was a nurse in the Confederate army.∼Father: R L Kirkland
Mother:
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