Missenharter Brass Instrument Factory

# 5512 Cornet. This cornet was sold on Ebay in Feb 2007. It has heavey carving and was made for Eugene Schmidt of the Great Western Band .

Articel on the Geat Western Band. I am not sure when Eugene Schmidt was their leader:

For generations, Jefferson College financially supported Canonsburg by accounting for much of its income. However, in 1868, the college was moved to nearby Washington, leaving behind empty college rooming and boarding houses, known as the "forts". Canonsburg largest financial draw had left, and it would take the introduction of the railroad system to return the city back to its former glory. The railroad system, on its way from Mansfield (Carnegie) to Washington, was fully opened as scheduled on May 18, 1871. The first scheduled train departed the Washington depot carrying "borough authorities, the committee of arrangement and reception, as well as Rankin’s Cornet Band and a number of …prominent citizens who had been invited to join the excursion." They traveled to Mansfield, where they waited for the special to arrive from Pittsburgh. The special had 12 coaches pulled by two locomotives and was filled with a large number of dignitaries, especially the mayors of Pittsburgh and Allegheny. The special than made it was down the newly laid tracks, passing stations full of spectators to cheer on the train. Canonsburg had a large crowd of supporters, and many people climbed aboard the train to ride along to Washington. There, the crowd was led by Pittsburgh’s Great Western Band and they marched to Town Hall for a round of speeches. The Washington Reporter editor pronounced the day "a grand success"!

Another Article on the Great Western Band:

PROF. FRED A. HOPPE, Director of the Iowa Conservatory of Music, No. 968 Locust, street, Dubuque; is a native of Prussia Germany, and was born at Burscheidt, near Cologne, March 3, 1836; he began the study of music when only 7 years of age; came to the United States in 1849, and completed his musical studies in St. Louis; he taught music there until 1858, when he came to Galena, where he taught music until 1863, when he organized a band from Galena and Dubuque for Gen. Maltby's brigade, and was stationed at Vicksburg, and remained in the service until the end of the war. After his return, he removed to Dubuque, and engaged in teaching music, and established the Iowa Conservatory of Music; he was elected leader of the old German Band, which was afterward consolidated with the Great Western Band; he was elected its leader, and still occupies that position; he held the position of organist at St. Mary's Catholic Church three years, and, since 1874, he has held the same position in the Second Presbyterian Church in this city. In 1857, he was united in marriage to Miss Laura Hager, from St. Louis; they have six children- Clara (engaged in teaching music), Freddie, Laura, Willie, John and Ella