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.
Postcard, 1911
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