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Osage
Knights of Pythias' "Happy Hooligan

Author's collection

Postcard, postmarked 1910

About This Image

Osage's sesquicentennial history states that the "Happy Hooligan" band was composed of "about twenty Osage business people." The initials "K P" on the bass drum suggest that the band was also affiliated with the Knights of Pythias, one of several secret societies that flourished in Iowa in the early 20th-century. They may have had multiple affiliations, however, as the "Shriners' Day" stamp at the bottom of the card suggests that they were celebrating the anniversary of the June 6, 1876 founding of the International Council of Shriners of North America. Clown bands or "rube" bands were popular feature at celebrations and in parades at this time.

The band is posed at the entrance to the Cleveland Hotel. (See below.) The building was demolished in 1975.

Source: 150 Years in Osage, Iowa: 1856-2006.

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Author's collection

Postcard, 1911

View in 2015
View in 2015
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