July 18, 1887, he became manager for Haverly’s Minstrels, and one year later the famous Haverly-Cleveland Minstrels blossomed forth.
A few years later Mr. Cleveland launched the company that bore his name, and the trade-mark continued as Cleveland’s Minstrels for several seasons; at one time there was three or four minstrel companies on the road under his name.
In August, 1898, in conjunction with George Wilson, he organized the Cleveland-Wilson Minstrels, a splendid company that had a brief existence.
His next minstrel venture was in Chicago, where on September 28, 1901, at Steinway Hall, he opened with Cleveland’s Minstrels; the season closed December 21, following. Two years later he returned to Chicago, and on October 31, 1903, he opened a theatre on Wabash Avenue, giving drama and vaudeville; the Iroquois fire of December 30 following closed the theatre.
He re-opened March 5, 1904, with vaudeville and continued until December 10, at which time he bid adieu to Chicago, theatrically speaking.
In the Spring of 1907 he embarked in the vaudeville agency business in New York, where he is now located.
William S. Cleveland was born in Chillicothe, Ohio, about 1861.
Ed. Rosenbaum, the well-known manager, was press agent for Cal. Wagner’s Minstrels, commencing about December 1, 1873; and not only that, but on April 8, 1881, at Hartford, Conn., in the American Theatre, sang “Old Black Joe.” In black-face? Well, certainly not green.
Joe Hart (Boudinot), now rated as one of the foremost vaudeville producers, but recently as one of the firm of Hallen and Hart, was a good black-face performer more than thirty years ago.
For instance, January 24, 1880, at the Bowery Garden Theatre, New York, Mr. Hart was doing a song and dance called “My Little Treasure.”