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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:

               File on bands

 

 

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