City Bands Embodied Early Montana Communities (Pt. 2)

Note: This is excerpted from "The Missoula City Band: Stories in Time."

By the mid-1890s, the City Band had emerged as the default 'go-to' organization in town for civic events. By 1894, it played at virtually every public function. On Oct. 17, 1894, Republicans opened their campaign at the new Bennett Opera House (across the street from the now razed historic Missoula Mercantile) with "the bl...