Our Historic Past, Part 2

On February 22, 1877, the founding members met in Aaron B. Walp's shoe factory on East Broad Street in Quakertown, located on the site later occupied by the Quakertown Furniture Store. The factory building was also used as the band's first rehearsal hall.

It is interesting to note that seventeen of the band's twenty-three charter members were shoemakers by trade, including Charles H. Walp, a son of the owner of the factory. Another son, Tilghman Walp, was the first member admitted to the band in the following year.

A list of the charter members, by section, reads as follows:

Cornetist Peter Smith was chosen as the first leader, serving in this capacity from 1877 to 1882. (Smith's great-grandson, David L. Fluck, is a current band member.)

At this time the members deemed it important to bring in new ideas. Consequently, David H. Anders of Philadelphia was hired as special instructor, at a fee of $4.00 per session.

The group decided to adopt the name Citizen's Silver Cornet Band of Quakertown. Their choice was particularly appropriate since a complete set of the famous German silver "Lenhardt" instruments had been purchased for use by the band. These instruments were manufactured at 429 North Ninth Street, Philadelphia by Henry Lenhardt, whose products had won First Prize at the Centennial Exposition of 1876.