February The Moose Of Smithville, NJ

This picture of February the moose was taken in 1886. Deer Parks were a popular feature on the estates of the wealthy at this time. By the early 1880's, H.B. Smith set about acquiring animals for his menagerie which included deer, moose, caribou and elk. His zoo was set apart from the main walled section of the manor but could be seen from a special viewing area. Plants and animals were not the only thing that Smith collected however. Although advanced in age, by 1885 he had an extensive entourage in residence including six attractive young ladies that many believed to be his harem. Tours of the Smithville Mansion Complex are filled with history, intrigue and visual delights. See the link posted in my previous blog for more information.

Smithville Mansion, Eastampton, NJ

Today I'm posting a picture of The Smithville Mansion, named after the second owner; H.B. Smith, inventor and entrepreneur. Smith's extraordinary accomplishments were clouded by personal controversy which I'll discuss more in detail later. The mansion is now owned by the County of Burlington, NJ and is open to tourists. Here one can tour Smith's "casino" annex, including card room, billiard room and bowling alley. Tourists can also view the site of Smith's zoo, the on site museum and wander through the grape arbors and rose garden courtyards. Next I'll post a picture of February the tame moose that Smith had trained to harness. You can find out more information about tours of the Smithville Mansion and Smithville Park here.

February The Moose

I called the Smithville Mansion today and inquired about that moose that pulled a cart. I spoke to a girl by the name of Carrie who said that the moose's name was February. How serendipitous is that! Anyway, she said they would get back to me as to whether or not they could email me a photo of him. Hopefully they can and I'll post it here!