May is busy!

On May 10 at 2 p.m., enjoy a free Mothers’ Day Tea at the Heisey House, followed by Bebe Fultz’s presentation of her ancestor, Sybil Ludington, Revolutionary War heroine. Reservations are required by calling 570-748-7254 or emailing us at info@clintonpahistory.org.

On May 15 and 16 there will be an indoor yard sale from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Poorman Gallery with a special “Preview Night/Wine & Cheese” on Thursday, May 14, from 5-7 p.m, for a small fee. Vintage clothing, household items, collectibles, tools, lamps, decor, picture frames, vintage sewing machines and much more will be for sale!

Our fundraiser to improve the Heisey’s sidewalks, “Bricks That Build America” commemorating America’s 250th year, ordering deadline is May 31. Pick up an order form at the Heisey or print one from our website to add your name to history.

We loaned several baseball uniforms to the Clinton County Arts Council for their one-day program, “Game Changers,” on April 26. It was an interesting and well-attended program on the history of baseball in our communities!

From the Collection

By Kathy Arndt

Another summer of music is coming. Our bands/musicians and entertainment files contain information dating back to the 1800s.

The city’s founder, Jerry Church, entertained area people with his fiddle. The White Horse Inn (an early hotel, stage coach stop and post office on Clinton Avenue) held frequent dances which started around 8:30 p.m. and lasted until almost dawn.

The 16-member Germania Orchestra was formed around 1887 and the 10 member Lyric Orchestra was organized around 1910. The Ross Library’s newspaper archives website lists over 3,000 entries for the two musical groups. The musicians played for wedding receptions, public dances at the Clinton Country Club and the boat club, at private society balls and weekly public assemblies, at both roller and ice skating parties at the Troop K National Guard Armory on West Main Street and at the Opera House and local theaters for large-scale productions as well as for silent movies.

Parades provided another source of music for area residents.

In addition to the many large school bands, community bands such as those from Lock Haven, Lockport, Avis, Renovo, Greenburr and Loganton marched in the parades. Employees of several county industries, including Piper and the railroad shops in Avis and Renovo, formed bands.

The New York and Penn paper mill (Hammermill) held concerts at their own band shell on Bellefonte Avenue for several years.

Fire companies including Flemington’s Goodwill and Lock Haven’s Citizens and Hope and Hand-in-Hand had bands. The Handies had a drum and bugle corps that won first place in a competition at the 1938 New York World’s Fair.

In the 1940s through the 1960s there were several drum and bugle corps in Clinton County: the Lancers, the Black Eagles, the Blue Ravens and the VFW’s Black Knights.

The Black Knights won four state championships (1948-1951) and three national first place awards (1949-1951).

Parades were also formed to celebrate some productions at the Opera House and the movie theaters such as the Martin and the Garden.

The Mill Hall, the Girl and the Elk Club Minstrel groups performed shows in the area. The Hospital Charity Fundraiser Minstrels, founded in the 1890s, performed their shows at the Opera House. Prominent members of the community including Judge Henry Hipple, businessman Joe Simon, the Historical Society’s own Samuel Heisey and Charles “Pappy” Strayer played major roles in the production.

In the 1960s and 1970s, teen dances were held in “The Fire” in the basement of the YMCA and on the second floor of City Hall featuring such local bands as the British Leathers, the Backbeats and the Coachmen.

Schools also have provided many opportunities for local residents to enjoy an evening of music through band concerts, musicals, dances for the students, the Purple Whirl and the BEN Avenue Follies. Lock Haven University has presented performances by established artists such as Bob Dylan and Gordon Lightfoot and introduced new and upcoming bands such as The Eagles, Blue Oyster Cult and KISS.

Taking advantage of the great acoustics, church groups have sponsored concerts over the years.

These programs have included the KCSD music educators’ scholarship fundraising concert at St. Paul’s Episcopal, the Community Choir at Covenant United Methodist, the pre-COVID concerts at Great Island Presbyterian, Elaine Barth’s Christmas concert at The Church of Christ and the gospel sing-alongs at The Lighthouse Camp at Lamar.

The number of concerts has grown in Lock Haven since the building of the amphitheater.

The floating stage on the river and the pavilion in Triangle Park have hosted bands throughout the summer. Local bands have included Classic Rock Revival, Snug, The Sirens, the Lockport Drifters and Kels Lomison & Friends. More regional bands such as Billy Price, Cliff Turner and the Afterburners, the Deacons of Swing and Hybrid Ice have also been featured.

During the last few years, an East Main Street stage has been added on the last Friday of the month.

Local establishments such as The Old Corner, the Broken Axe, Uncle Albert’s and Avenue 209 have featured music at times.

LH Jams, sponsored by the Clinton County Arts Council, has come to East Main Street for two days during August since 2016.

Smoked Country Jam had provided a rustic home for music for more than 20 years until its last show in 2025. Even the Clinton County Historical Society has provided a venue for groups such as The Twisted Racquet-Tears (who perform two shows every month at the STEP building on East Walnut Street), Bobby Maguire and Family and David Pinelli and Miss Monique.

Enjoy your summer music. There’s a lot of history behind it.