Cowboy band’s summer season to kick off early next week

Tuesday's opening concert by the Dodge City Cowboy Band at 7 p.m. in the bandshell in Wright Park will continue a long-standing local tradition.
    In the 1870s, a young man came to town to collect on a debt and ended up owning a part share in the Long Branch Saloon. The Long Branch, later made famous when the writers of the television series "Gunsmoke" pulled the name from the pages of Dodge City history, was one of many saloons in town, helping the young outpost earn its reputation for riotous and lawless behavior.
    The new owner of the Long Branch, Chalkley M. Beeson, was unfamiliar with the business of running a saloon, so he partnered with a well-known gambler named William H. Harris. According to an account of Beeson's life written by his son, Merritt, Beeson was concerned with law and order in the town and served as deputy sheriff under Bat Masterson and eventually was appointed United States marshal.
    He "became noted for his sleuth methods to catch criminals, bank robbers and horse thieves who were quite numerous at that time," Merritt writes.
    Among Chalkley Beeson's many interests, he was an amateur musician and in 1878, he began promoting the idea of a town band. Money was raised to purchase instruments, and musicians in town were recruited to play at local theaters and dance halls. Under the name The Dodge City Stockmen's Band, the group played for parades, funerals and elections.
    In his book "Dodge City Up Through a Century in Story and Pictures," author Fred Young states, "Money was raised in June 1878 to purchase musical instruments for a 'Dodge City Silver Cornet Band,' and the Times bragged that 'Dodge City can toot her own horn.'"
    As the group evolved, the personnel and even the name changed. By 1880, the group was known as The Dodge City Cowboy Band. They dressed the part. According to Young, "Dressed in leather chaps, boots, spurs, bandannas, and cowboy hats, each member carried an ivory-handled six-shooter and wore a cowboy hat decorated with an outline of a longhorn steer and a prominent cattle brand."
    The band traveled to Kansas City, St. Louis and Denver to play concerts, but its proudest accomplishment came in 1889, when it was invited to Washington, D.C. to lead the inaugural parade of President Benjamin Harrison.
    In only 27 years, the scrappy town of Dodge City had gone from a plank across a couple of barrels serving as a saloon to national prominence.
    Gone are the chaps and the hats, but today's Cowboy Band carries on the proud tradition.
    This summer, 35 musicians will gather for rehearsals every Monday evening in preparation for an open-air concert every Tuesday. The weekly concerts will continue through July 21, after which the band will appear in the Dodge City Days parade, then put the horns and music away until next summer.

The program
    The band's program traditionally begins with "The Star-Spangled Banner."
    "Our fans really like the marches and the show tunes, so we try to put together a program that will please them every week. I also like to include at least one standard from the wind ensemble repertoire," said Dan Brinkley, the band's director.
    Brinkley also said the band is still looking for a few good players for the summer concerts.
    "We are a little short in the drum section and we could use a few more clarinets and low brass, especially tuba," he said.
    If your old clarinet is still in the back of the closet and you think you'd enjoy making music with the band, call Brinkley at (620) 255-1581.
    The band's personnel includes musicians from high school through adults, with the majority being adults. The city of Dodge City provides funding for the band.
    Each player is paid $10 for each rehearsal and each regular performance.
    "It's not a lot, but it adds up by the end of the summer," Brinkley said.
    Joanne Whelchel, clarinet player, has been involved with the band intermittently since 1956.
    "Some of us have been around awhile, but we still enjoy it," she said.             When Whelchel joined the band, Howard Harms was the director, and only musicians who had graduated from high school were eligible.
    "We wore these really ugly orange shirts — I was glad to see them go," Whelchel said. "We encourage people to come enjoy the concerts — the price is right and the park is always cool in the evening, even on the hottest days."
    Bill Austen, who has served as the band's executive secretary for 28 years, doesn't play an instrument, but all three of his kids were in the band.
    "The band has a great tradition, and my wife and I try to make every concert. It's great to see the buses from Fort Dodge and all the other fans. The band members are really dedicated," Austen said.
    Many small towns across America have summer band concerts, but few can  boast as rich a tradition as the Dodge City Cowboy Band.

Reach Don Steele at (620)  408-9910 or e-mail him at
don.steele@dodgeglobe.com.