This 1910 photograph is of the Munson Coronet Band. Munson is a small village in Morris Township that skirts the Moshannon Creek and separates Clearfield and Centre counties.
Like so many others in the region, it was a busy mining village that has slowly and steadily declined since World War II.
The people there may not have had advanced education, but they were hard workers who struggled to make a living.
Some were gifted with talents, including musical talents, and hence the local band. They probably had to raise money for the instruments and uniforms.
Local concerts and dances, usually on a Saturday evening or a Sunday afternoon, were big attractions to people who lived, worked and shopped in their towns, while rarely traveling.
The early 20th century meant that cars were rare and roads were dirt. Local rail travel was an escape from the often dreary scenery of the mine villages.
Remarkably, as Julie Houston, of the Clearfield County Historical Society, noted, the photograph is taken in the park in Philipsburg. Perhaps Philipsburg had, at the time, the closest professional photographer.
If anyone can identify any of the young men in the photo, please contact news@gantnews.com or the Clearfield County Historical Society at 814-768-7318.
