Édouard Beaupré facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Édouard Beaupré
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Beaupré compared to his father, Gaspard Beaupré, whose height was 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in); c. 1900
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| Born | January 9, 1881 Willow Bunch, Saskatchewan, Canada
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| Died | July 3, 1904 (aged 23) |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Occupation | Strongman and wrestler |
| Known for | "Willow Bunch Giant" Tallest strongman and professional wrestler |
| Height | 2.52 m (8 ft 3 in) |
Édouard Beaupré (born January 9, 1881 – died July 3, 1904) was a very tall Canadian man. He was known as "The Willow Bunch Giant" because he came from Willow Bunch. He worked in a circus and was a professional wrestler and strongman. He even performed with the famous Barnum and Bailey's circus. Édouard Beaupré was one of the tallest people ever recorded, standing about 2.52 m (8 ft 3 in) tall.
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Life of a Giant
Édouard Beaupré was born in a small town in southern Saskatchewan, Canada, on January 9, 1881. He was the first of 20 children in his family! His mother, Florestine Piché, was Métis.
When Édouard started school at age seven, he was a normal height. But he grew incredibly fast. By age nine, he was already 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) tall. When he was 12, he was over 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)! He stopped going to school around this time. Édouard was smart and could speak five languages: French, English, Métchif, Cree, and Sioux.
He was a great horse rider, but by the time he was 17, he had grown to 2.21 m (7 ft 3 in). This made it hard for him to ride horses, so he stopped. His father worked as a freighter, moving goods for a trader named Jean-Louis Légaré, who was also Édouard's godfather. For several years, Édouard traveled with his father to places like Moose Jaw, Regina, and Montana.
A Strongman's Career
Édouard decided to leave his life on the ranch and start touring. He showed off his amazing strength by bending iron bars and even lifting horses onto his shoulders! He traveled from Winnipeg to Montreal and also spent some time in California.
In Montreal, on March 25, 1901, Édouard wrestled against Louis Cyr, another very famous French Canadian strongman. The match was quick, and Louis Cyr won.
Around age 21, Édouard was about 2.41 m (7 ft 11 in) tall and weighed 166 kilograms (366 lb). His neck was 21 inches around, and his hands were 12 and a half inches long from his wrist to his fingertips. His chest measured 56 inches, and he needed special custom-made shoes for his size 22 feet! By December 1903, he had grown even taller, reaching 2.50 m (8 ft 2+1⁄2 in).
His Final Days
On July 1, 1904, Édouard signed a contract to perform with the Barnum and Bailey circus at the St. Louis World's Fair in St. Louis, Missouri. However, just two days later, on July 3, 1904, he sadly passed away at the young age of 23. He died from a serious illness related to tuberculosis. At the time of his death, he was 2.49 m (8 ft 2 in) tall and weighed 170 kilograms (370 lb).
Journey After Death
The circus asked an undertaker to prepare Édouard's body. But then, the circus refused to pay the bill! So, the undertaker decided to keep Édouard's body and put it on display in St. Louis.
Later, Édouard's body somehow ended up at the Museum of Eden in Montreal, where it was also put on display. So many people came to see it that the authorities had to close the exhibit. The body was then given to a Montreal circus, but that circus soon went out of business and left the body in a warehouse.
In 1907, two children playing in the warehouse found the body. The Université de Montréal then took possession of it. After studying and performing an autopsy, the university preserved Édouard's body and placed it in a glass display case for research.
A Proper Burial
Édouard's family didn't know his body was in Montreal until 1967. In 1975, they began trying to bring his body back to Willow Bunch for a proper burial. The university at first refused, saying they wanted to continue their research.
In 1989, the family tried again, this time bringing the media to help put pressure on the university. This effort worked! The university agreed to cremate Édouard's remains to prevent anyone from disturbing his grave. It took two large urns to hold all of his ashes.
Finally, in 1990, the remains of le Géant Beaupré or le Géant de Willow-Bunch (The Giant of Willow Bunch) were brought back home to Willow Bunch. The family held a memorial service, and his ashes are now buried in front of the Willow Bunch Museum.
See also
In Spanish: Édouard Beaupré para niños
