The roads through Grampian also connected the village to the lumbering towns of Mahaffey, Curwensville and Lumber City, along the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, as well as to DuBois to the north.
The coming of coal mining and the connection to the Pennsylvania Railroad line brought further prosperity to Grampian.
Grampian was originally known as Grampian Hills named after the Scottish lowlands area where some settling families originated. It was also known as Pennville.
Live music was the only available music in Grampian at the turn of the 20th century. The Grampian Band was organized then and took advantage of the local musical talent and those who could read music.
Like other small village bands, they solicited and worked for the funding to buy instruments and uniforms. The Grampian Band wore brownish-colored uniforms trimmed in black decoration or braid.
The band’s outdoor warm weather concerts were certainly enjoyed as a reprieve from everyday working life.
The photo shows a brass and percussion band and looks to be an all-male revue. Where are the women? Surely, they had quite a bit of musical talent! Times have indeed changed.
Another photo shows an original, and somewhat tattered, Grampian Band uniform that is displayed at the Clearfield County Historical Society’s Kerr House Museum.
The black and white photo to the right of the leg of the uniform is a portrait of two band members.
There is today a modern Grampian Band, made up of musically-gifted men and women who perform yearly in July at the Grampian Days Festival in the town’s park, which was built in 1976. The band is still a local treasure!