About Somers
Somers can rightly be called the birthplace of the American circus. By 1835 when 80 menagerie owners met in Hachaliah Bailey’s ”Elephant Hotel,” now the town hall, to form their own organization, Bailey had already established himself as a successful circus impresario (think Barnum & Bailey). Somer’s municipal symbol remains “Old Bet,” Bailey’s first elephant, but the town has evolved from its early circus days. Despite Somers tranquil, what many would call rural vibe, it is home to major corporate outposts of IBM and Pepsico.
