A wonderfully named Kerrville Band

"Joe's Band" 1911, taken in front of the Charles Schreiner Store.
Click on any image to enlarge.

Today one can ask the Internet to find and play almost any piece of music, even asking for a particular artist or specific recording. It’s as if, in the dark and hidden rooms of an online palace, bands are waiting to entertain you, no matter your whim or musical tastes. Though such an archive may not serve artists, musicians, or composers very well, for the average listener it’s quite an amazing bonanza, and offers listeners a chance to discover new music.

Gentle Reader: there was a time before the Internet existed. Spoiler alert: there was even a time when recorded music did not exist.

A kind reader gave me a photograph recently which shows a wonderfully-named Kerrville music group: “Joe’s Band.” The image, taken in 1911, shows 18 men with their instruments, posing in front of the Charles Schreiner Company, on Water Street near the Earl Garrett Street intersection.

The old photograph has been published locally many times. My favorite cutline for the image comes from the September 16, 1948 edition of the Kerrville Mountain Sun.

Joe Gardner Sr.
Note the hat.

“One of the favorite modes of entertainment for the summer seasons of 1910 to 1912 was the band, and in particular ‘Joe’s Band.’ They played for all occasions of note when visitors were entertained, for the baseball games and for the Kerr County Fair.

“The band was named for the late Joe Gardner, Sr., who was one of the business managers. Most of the men who were members of this organization have either moved away or passed on [in 1948].

“The woman, wearing the ‘new look’ in the long dress and hat with the veil, is in the doorway of the Charles Schreiner Bank. At the right is the entrance to the dry goods department, now the door for the hardware department, and in the show window can be seen a display of men’s wearing apparel. It seems that men wore hats in those days, possibly due to the musical atmosphere. Bandsmen also wore suits of Navy blue serge trimmed with black braid, and the square caps were of the blue, with the black trim.

“Top row, left to right are Gerald Walther, who died of burns resulting from an explosion in a drug store; Howard Davis, who lives in El Paso; Ralph Rogers, whose whereabouts are unknown; Louis Pfeuffer, Sr; Emil Saenger; Payne Williamson, who now lives in San Antonio; Florin Sanchez, barber by trade and musician by birth, who has organized many musical groups of the community: he was director of the band; standing back of Florin, and not in uniform, is his brother, Joe Sanchez.

“Others in the top row are Louis Moore, a resident of Galveston for many years; Jake Michon, who died a few years ago; Pall Bessan; Ervin Mittanck, who lives in San Antonio; and Joe Gardner.

“In the lower row are Ed Allen, Junction; George Doyle, district clerk; Ollie Mittanck, resident of Kerrville; Bob Horne of Plainview; and Rudy Mosel of San Antonio.”

Aside from the two drums and two clarinets, the rest of the band is made up of brass instruments. I’m thinking loudness was not a problem. I have not found a report of the band’s repertoire, but I would guess they played plenty of marches.

This is a wonderful photograph, and I particularly like the Mountain Sun’s description of Florin Sanchez: “barber by trade, musician by birth.”

Until next week, all the best.

Joe Herring Jr. is a Kerrville native whose mother, Pat Herring, is a gifted musician. This column originally appeared in the Kerr County Lead July 11, 2024.

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