website watertownhistory.org
ebook History of Watertown, Wisconsin
Thacker's Band
c1905? WHS_006_294
TOP ROW: Frank Newbouer
[Neugebauer?], James O’Brien, Arthur Radtke, Peter Wachholz
[Wachholtz?], Hugo Herzog, Prof. Frank Thacker,
Theodore Sonnemann, Herman Borchardt, Theodore Grabow, Max Bayerlein.
FRONT ROW: George Krueger, Adolph Krueger, Earl Fix,
Arthur Zimmermann, Walter Schmidt, Edward Reichardt, Franklin Kopp, Walter
Simon, Arthur Polzin, P. G. Eickmann,
George Wenck (about age 13).
Professor Frank Thacker’s Concert
Band was an early music organization in Watertown. This band reportedly used to rehearse in the
Concordia Music Hall brick building on same block as the Fuermann
Brewery and Ice House, later Memorial Park and then the City Hall
building. The music hall and ice house
were both consumed in an 1882 fire, which, would be more than 20 years before
this image.
1905
05 16 CONCERT ON MAIN STREET
The first open air concert of the
season was given last evening by the members of Thacker's Concert Band to large
crowds of appreciative listeners along Main Street. It is a display of generosity on the part of
this musical organization that should be appreciated by the citizens of
Watertown. There should be some of that
substantial assistance in the way of financial support. It is the intention to continue the concerts
on Saturday evenings throughout the summer and to give two a week if the proper
encouragement is shown. The initial
concert was certainly a treat and it is to be earnestly hoped that the
appreciation will be sufficient to have them continued.
08 02 THACKER’S BAND PRIDE OF OUR CITIZENS
All
Recognize Them as Musicians of Proficiency
Free Open Air Concerts Given
Only
Hope of Reward is Appreciation
That
Should Be Most Liberal
There
is no doubt but that our citizens appreciate Thacker’s band, but we are
inclined to the belief, not to the extent the band deserves. All who have heard the band, and we presume
that there is not a person in the city who has not, recognize the members as
musicians of merit, entitled to consideration because of their proficiency and disposition
to favor the public with concerts without other hope of reward than appreciation
for their efforts to please and entertain.
Wednesday
evenings they give free concerts upon Main Street to which all are invited to
listen and be entertained.
The
members are all excellent young men, among the best in the city and an honor
and credit to Watertown for whom the city should not withhold encouragement and
support, which should be of a substantial character. Mr. Thacker, the director, has been indefatigable
in his efforts to bring the band up to a high standard of excellence and the
members have been faithful in their practice as is evidenced by their playing,
which shows that they have been painstaking in their work.
The
members of the band are:
Director,
Frank Thacker
Fifes,
George Wenck, Chris Oreding
Clairinets. Max Beyerlein, E. Schultz, Fred De Wald, Art Bolzin
Cornets,
Frank Kopp, E. Haak, J. Fowle,
Theo. Sonneman, Herman Borchardt, W. Simon
Baritones,
Aug. Model, A. Zimmerman, A. Radtke
Trombones,
James O’Brien, Earl Fix, A. Krueger
Bass.
Geo. Krueger, W. Schmidt
Drums,
F. Kehr, Joe Koester. WR
09 13 Thacker's
Concert Band took part in the band tournament at Waterloo last Wednesday and
those present from this city were proud of our band. The band made an excellent appearance and it
goes without saying, that it made mighty good music and attracted a good deal
of attention whenever it played. The
band was awarded the prize.
An item to the effect that a girl
living in a village in New York faints when the local band begins to play is
going the rounds of the papers. If she
will move to Watertown, she will not faint when our band plays but return to
her abiding place enraptured.
Cross Reference:
History of Watertown,
Wisconsin