Hillsboro Silver Cornet Band – Hillsboro Illinois

By Tom Bliss

A Part of the past…

It was 123 years ago, back in 1854 when the Montgomery County Agricultural Society was established and the first county fair was held in Hillsboro, that special attention was first paid to the “Old Settlers” of the county.

Since the first fair was held on what is now Beckemeyer school campus what was to become Old Settlers Day has been a part of Hillsboro. The present Old Settlers Association was formed in 1883, with Solomon Harkey as president, and from then on the annual celebration has been held during the last of August or early September. Music and speaking were the main attractions until parades and floats became a part of the annual celebration.

One of the early bands to perform on Old Settlers Day was the Hillsboro Silver Coronet Band that posed for this picture in about 1888.

Seated on the front row, from left to right, were: Walter “Wally” Frarer, Clem Sammons, Ed Hillis, William “Will” Lee and Sam Armstrong.

Back row, left to right: Ed Haag, Louis Mey, Warren Neff, William Smith, George Pierson and Riley Mason.

Mr. Pierson, a tailor, was director of the band, which was later named the Hillsboro Light Guard Band. Instead of marching the band road in most parades in a special constructed horse-drawn band wagon which was kept in the old Mey wagon factory, now known as the Kelley building on the southeast corner of Main and Tremont streets.

Taken from: “The Montgomery County News” 1977