Reston Citizen’s Band 1910

This amazing picture from the Reston Museum was the starting point for today’s blog post. The information I have on the band members is incomplete but hoping a relative may stumble on this and learn something new or give the more information.  I'm guessing the photo would have been taken by Saunders & Eaton of the Winnipeg Photo Co. which had a studio in Reston but was based in Napinka.  My copy has the writing very faint on the left side and I will need to pay a visit to the museum in the summer to find what I'm missing.  My knowledge of band instruments is limited so please Music and Band teacher friends, do correct me! 

 

Let me introduce you to the Reston Citizen's Band in 1910, back row first - left to right. 

• Charles A Stevenson - baritone horn (?) * Worked around Reston as a veterinarian 1895 - 1920 and served in WW1
• Thomas Mutter - baritone horn (?) * Was a grain buyer at Lake of the Woods Elevator about 1908-1934 who lived on Second Ave
• George Sumner - euphonium (?) * Tinsmith from England who worked in the Manitoba Hardware 1910- 1916
• Fred Douglas - euphonium * Railway worker 
• Isaac Grayson Mossop - tenor * Farmer, Fire and life insurance salesman and real estate agent with Guthie & Bulloch. Was also county records clerk in the little brick building on second avenue up until his death in 1933.
• E Groulx - first alto * Church of England (Anglican) Minister
• Thomas Moase - solo alto * Hardware clerk perhaps

Second Row left to Right

• W Enns ?  - Only one without a snappy uniform and hat
• Edward Hollowell  ? * son of shoemaker
• AJ Manning - percussion * school principal, former co-editor of Reston Recorder
• T Harold Donnelly-  leader - solo Bb cornet * Gentlemen's clothing store owner 
• Everett James Miller -  solo Bb cornet * postal worker perhaps
• Everett J Donnelly  - first Bb cornet * Gentlemen's clothing shop worker
• Howard M Jackson - first Bb cornet * fuel and implement agent

Front row kneeling/sitting left to right

• P Carpenter - first alto
• Frank Brady - second cornet * son of lumber merchant
• PG Stacombe - percussion

Glancing through the Recorder Archives, I ran across a few tidbits about the band. 

In July 1909 they were featured entertainment at the summer picnic for the  Royal Templars of Temperance at Harpers Grove.  They played also at Pipestone Sports Day.  Band leader Harold Donnelly married Ruby Jane Winter in Souris that summer. 

In February 1910, they provided skating music at a costume carnival at the rink. They may have sounded something like this clip from YouTube. 

In March 20, 1910 it was reported the band had weekly practices upstairs at Manitoba Lumber and Hardware and requested town fathers to construct a bandstand so they could perform in any weather conditions.  Their wishes fell on deaf ears apparently.

No further mention was found of the band after this news item below from July 1910. Harold Donnelly and his wife Ruby moved away from the community and without his leadership (and perhaps sponsorship) the era of the Citizen's Band was over.  I do wonder where the instruments and uniforms ended up and if their lips recovered quickly...