1833
July 13th - Born in Salem NC. (4)
1833
August 2nd - Gus's mother, Nancy Geiger Reich, died. (17)
1843
? - Gus's father marries Martha Geiger. (16)
1848
? - Gus was admitted to the Choir of Older Boys, along with 8 other boys including David Blum. (11)
1849
November 6th - Lewis Leander Reich born. (3)
1850
May 22nd - C. F. Sussdorff requested permission of the Overseers College to perform a magic lantern show. (5)
1851
March 12th - Mr. Sussdorff gave a magic lantern show in Salem. (1)
April 30th - Mr. Sussdorff gave a magic lantern show in Raleigh. (22)
August 5th and 6th - Everett performed in Fayettville. (23)
November 28th and 29th - Everett performed in Fayettville. (24)
1854
? - Gus was a founding member of the Forsyth Literary Society (15)
May 26th - Gave a paper on Columbus at an entertainment given by the Forsyth Young Men's Literary Society. (1)
1855
December 22nd - Gave a presentation entitled "Francis Marion" at a benefit for the Forsyth Literary Society. (1)
September 28th, 1855 - Peoples Press article stated "Everett's Pavilion of Science and Art exhibited in this place and at Winston last week, to crowded houses." (1)
1856
October 15th and 16th - Everett performed in Raleigh (21)
1859
May 13th - Everett & Wray's Varieties performed in Salem. W. A. Wray was the magician in the show. (note that Everett had another company in which he was the magician, that played in Greensboro at the same time.) (1)
1860
December 27th - First show on record by Gus. Given as a benefit for the Forsyth Literary Society in Salem. (1)
1861
April 19th - Everett gave a show in Salem. (1)
November 29th - Gave a show along with the Salem Brass Band as a benefit for the Ladies' Relief Association. (1)
1862
July 4th - Ran advertisement in the Peoples Press for "Reich's Magic Blacking". This was a shoe polish. (1)
July 8th - Joined the 26th Regiment Band near Petersburg VA. (2,3)
July 13th to August 15th - Band given furlough. Gus was not included in a photo taken of band during stay in Salem, but was given leave. (2)
September 5th (?) - Gus returned to Salem to get his magic outfit (27)
September 8th - Band gave a concert at Deaf, Dumb and Blind Institute in Raleigh during which Gus performed sleight of hand. Also played at Gov. Vance's inauguration. (2)
September 11th and 12th - Concert in Wilmington (2, 26)
(note that Hall gave the dates as 10th and 11th, while the reviews and advertisements in the newspaper were for the 11th and 12th)
September 12th - Concert in Goldsboro. (2)
Mid September - Gave three concerts in Petersburg at Phoenix Hall. (2,27)
December 23rd - Band given furlough and traveled home to Salem. (2,27)
1863
January 5th - Furlough ended, but Gus was to sick to return to camp and stayed in Salem. (27)
Early February - Gus returns to camp. (27)
April 25th, 27th and 29th - Gave three concerts in Salem, two at the court house and one at the Female Academy. (1,2,27)
April 30th and May 1st - Gave two concerts in Greensboro. (2,27)
May 2nd - Concert in Raleigh. (2,27)
June 9th - Gus broke both drum heads. (27)
July 1st to 3rd - Battle of Gettysburg. (2)
August 24th - Gus bought a new drum. (27)
1864
January 30th to March 6st - Band on furlough. (2)
February 1st - Concert at Salem Female Academy (2,27)
February 21st, 22nd and 23rd - Three concerts in Wilksboro. First for Gov. Vance's campaign, second a concert and show, and third an open air concert (2,27)
March 3rd - Concert at Raleigh's Blind Institute. (2,27)
May 5th to 19th - Battle of Wilderness and Spotsylvania Court House (2)
June 1st to 3rd - Battle of Cold Harbor (2)
June 18th on - Stationed at Petersburg (2)
August 13th - Gus having been sick at the hospital for some time, was sent home on furlough. (27)
October 20th - Gus returned from home, where he been for some time on sick furlough. (27)
1865
April 2nd (?) - Gus captured by Union troops and drum confiscated. He was released, returned to 26th Regiment and was paroled with them. (2, 27)
Spring - Returned to Salem around Easter. (2,14)
December 19th - Married Mary Lavinia Kitchell in Bethlehem, PA (4)
1866
Oct 18th - Show in Salem. This is the fist reference to Gus giving a performance after Civil War. (1,5)
Oct 19th - Newspaper stated that Gus was going on a tour of southern states with Professor Sussdorff and his phantasmagoria. (1)
1867
October 9th - Show in Salem with a Mr. Carmichael. Newspapter stated they where going to go on tour soon. (1)
Late October - Show in Warrenton. (25)
1870
May 24th and 27th - Performed with Salem Brass Band at Butner's Hall in Salem. This was a fund raiser for the band. Gus seemed to of had a problem with a cat he used in his act. (1)
1871
? - Moved to Mt. Airy and opened a tinsmith shop (6)
1873
April 25th - Show in Salem at Butner's Hall. It was given for the benefit of the Salem Reading Club and included the Salem Brass Band. Gus was billed as the "Wizard of the Blue Ridge". (1)
December 28th - Gus's stepmother, Martha Reich, died. (18)
1874
January 19th - Letter about making Siamise Twin's coffin (7)
March - Moved back to Salem from Mt. Airy (1,6)
October - Performed for a week in Asheville around October 22nd. (note that the Buncombe County Fair was held during this time) (1)
1875
May 15th - Matinee at Butner's Hall in Salem for the Academy ladies and an evening show for the town's people. (1)
June 10th - Returned to Salem from a tour of Davidson County.
(1)
July 8th - Returned to Salem after giving a show in Mt. Airy. (1)
1876
July 6th - Gus's father, Jacob Frederick Reich, died. (16)
1877
February 20th and 21st - Show in Graham. (1)
Aug 16th - Paper stated that Guss (sic) was busy mending stills. (1)
1878
Jan 31st - Paper stated that Guss (sic) had two hogs that weighted 522 pounds. (1)
March 7th - Paper stated that they liked Mrs. W. A. Reich's canned fruit and Gus's canned corn. (1)
March 14th - First mention of the churn. (1)
December 5th - First mention of Capt. Reich's extra fine blacking. (1)
December 19th - Paper stated that churn was patented. (1)
1879
February 11th - Date of patent on churn and egg beater (3)
February - Gus started to sell rights to market churn. (1)
September 11th - Gus leaves for Cincinnati Industrial Exposition to market his churn. (1)
October 30th, Gus in Cincinnati and visited Old John Robinson. (1)
1880
July ? - Played week in Coliseum Theatre, Indianapolis. From a statement made by proprietor on July 22nd and noted on a later handbill. (8)
August 26th - Returned from trip West to sell market rights for churn. (1)
1881
April 18th to about May 5th - Shows in Clemmonsville (18th), Farmington (19th and 20th), Thomasville (25th and 26th), Salisbury, Lexington and High Point. (1)
Early-May - Shows at Pleasant Fork and Friedberg. (1)
May 21st and 22nd - Shows at Waughtown and Midway. (1)
August 20th - Completed three night tour at Waughtown. Shows given under canvas. Show billed as the Rich & Bailey's Great Southern Sleight of Hand Show. (1)
August 25th and 26th - Show in Salem at the Salem Hotel yard. (1,12)
August 29th to September 15th - Shows in Germanton, Walnut Cove, Madison, Prestonville, Danbury, Moore's Store, Westfield, Mt. Airy (2 nights), Dobson, Rockford, Yadkinville, Elkin, East Bend. (1)
September 26th to October 1st - Shows in Bethania, Clemmonsville, Shady Grove, Farmington, Fork Church, and Lexington. (1)
November - Show at Yadkin College (1)
1882
May 4th - Paper noted that Gus was having great success selling fruit trees. He is an agent for Radsdale Nurseries. (1)
July 16th-26th The Westmoreland & McGhee Sleight of Hand Combination (Show) started on tour with Gus Rich as the magician. This was a tent show. First show given at Bethania. (1)
August 17th - Maybury, Pullman and Hamilton's Circus played Salem. (1)
August 17th to September 14 (?) - Shows given in Bruce's Cross Roads, Reidsville, Pelham, Milton, (Mt. Airy ?), Roxboro, Oxford, Hillsboro, and a number of rural places not specified. Show ("performed last Thursday") reviewed in August 30th Roxboro News. (1,8)
September 29th - Gus leaves for a short tour, itinerary not given. (1)
Late December - Shows in Guildford County. (1)
1883
March 16th to 17th - Kernersville and Friendship. (1)
April - October - A Southern Tour. Itinerary not given, mention of one night in Salisbury during the week of April 16th and a letter sent from Charlotte. (1)
1884
Week of April 14th - Played Teaguetown (14th) and Colfax, Guilford County. (1)
July 7th - Lewis Leander Reich died. (3)
1887
December 1st - Performed with the Salem Orchestra at Brown's Opera House, as a fund raiser. Concert made $80. (1,12)
1888
December 17th - Performed show in Archdale. (1)
1889
April 23th - Gus and wife left for Charlotte (1)
July 16th - Mary returned from Charlotte (1)
July 23rd - Gus returned from Charlotte (1)
(note: a search of the Charlotte papers from April to August did not turn up any mention of Gus)
October 3rd - John Robinson's circus played in Salem (1)
November 7th - Gus writes a letter from Greenswood SC about
Robinson's circus. (1)
1890
January 9th - Gus returns from a 3 month absence to the south. (note: did he travel with Robinson's circus?) (1)
February 12th - Performed show in Mt. Airy. (1)
February 25th - Performed at Female Academy in Salem. (1)
1891
July 1th - Performed show at the new academy in Ronda. (1)
August 8th - Performed show in Elkin. (1)
November 10th - First mention of Mary Reich's primary school. (1)
1892
July 22th (?) to July 28th (?) - On a tour of Walnut Cove, Pinnacle and Pilot Mountain (1)
July 28th - Performed in Kernersville (1)
August 5th - Performed in Shoals and paper stated that in five weeks Gus would start a larger tour. (12)
1893
April ? - Performed in Highpoint (12)
July 15th - Performed in Centerville (12)
1894
March 29th - Paper stated that Gus on tour in South Carolina and Georgia. (12)
July 2nd to 8th (?) - Played Charlotte and High Point. (12)
August 31st to September 4th - Played South Side Park in Winston-Salem. (12)
November 27th to December 1st - Played in Wilmington with a traveling company. (note: a review of the Wilminton papers found only one show playing which could have a magician, "The Wonderful Museum". Gus was not mentioned, but a snake charmer was.) (12,19)
1895
March 21st - Played at the Academy in Culler, Stokes County (12)
April 22 (?) - Played in Teaguetown. (12)
July 16th - Performed with Dr. Leo's medicine show as part of a benefit for local fire department in Winston-Salem. (12)
August 29th - Performed at South Side Park in Winston-Salem. (12)
Nov 7th - Paper states that Gus is on tour in Georgia. (note: the same paper states that Dr Leo is currently in Athens Ga., could Gus be with his medicine show? After Athens Dr. Leo went to Abbeville, SC). (12)
1896
November 26th - Performed a show at the Academy in Kernersville (12)
1897
February 11th - The newspaper stated that Gus had sold the "Reich House" to W. C. Wells for $700 and was planning to move to South Carolina. He later moved to a new house, 722 South Liberty Street. (3,9,12)
March 11th - Paper stated that a house on Liberty Street was being built for a "Mr. D e Reich", could this have been a typo? (12)
September 23rd - Dr. John Leo Huertez died in Spartanburg SC, he had a medicine show in W-S under the name of Dr. Leo. (12)
November 11th - Performed in a free Variety Show at the Tobacco Fair in Winston. (12)
1898
July ? - Performed a show at Vienna. (12)
September 25th - Performed a show in Advance. (12)
December 23rd - Gave a show in Centerville. (12)
1899
November ? - Performed in Greensboro (12)
1900
December ? - Performed at Trinity College in Thomasville (12)
December ? - Performed at Frazier School House in West Randolph. (12)
1901
August 10th - Performed at Nissen Park. (12)
November ? - Performed in Thomasville. (12)
1902
July 21st - Performed at Centerville Hall. (12)
August - Was reported to just of returned from a trip to Deep River in Guildford County. (12)
1903
November ? - Performed at the Kendall School House in Thomasville. (12)
1904
July 2nd - Gave a show at Centerville Hall. (12)
1906
March 3rd - Gave a show at Marvin Chapel in Forsyth County. (12)
July 5th to July 12th - Performed in Greensboro, Rural Hall and Dennis. (12)
1907
March 9th - Gave a show at Flat Rock School House some four miles south of Salem. (12)
Late April - Gave shows in Lewisville and other parts in the western part of Forsyth county. (12)
1909
February 6th - Gave a show at Pine Chapel in South Side. (12)
August 15th to 20th - Performed for a week at the Airdome in Winston as part of a vaudeville show between pictures. (12,20,27)
1914
June 18th - Performed at the Home Church Sunday School picnic at Nissen Park. (12,20)
1915
August 7th - Gave a show at Piney Grove School House in Davidson County. (12)
1917
July 8th - Died in Winston-Salem age 83, note that obituary incorrectly stated that he was 84 years old. (4,9)
? - Mary Reich moved to Widow's House. (6,10)
1928
? - Mary Reich moved to Salem Home due to increasing infirmity. (6,10)
1931
December 11th - Mary Reich died in Winston-Salem age 92. (6)
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