Oklahoma Musicians

Okfuskee County

Musical history, people, ensembles, photographs, and source material from the Oklahoma Musicians Library.

The musical history of Okfuskee County.

Okfuskee County has direct evidence of active community-band organizing and public band performance by 1914. The July 2, 1914 Okfuskee County News announced that the Dustin Band would meet the First Separate Troop Cavalry at the Okemah depot, lead the parade to the picnic grounds, and play a dinner concert. The same issue reported that musicians in Weleetka had organized the Weleetka Band Association, with about thirty applicants and officers including S. E. Gray and L. L. Clawson. (high) [July 2, 1914 issue](https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc1712131/m1/1/)

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Read the full account, chronology, named ensembles and people, source links, and research notes. These library reports reflect their original research passes; related records below may add later evidence.

Explore the county collection

12 linked records. Connections follow county names and communities documented in the sources; they do not establish a birthplace, exact historical boundary, or continuous residence.

Photographs and visual sources.

Photograph used for a story in the Oklahoma Times newspaper. Caption: "Coronation of Brenda Walker, as band queen at Okemah High School is scheduled Friday night between halves of the Okemah-Bristow football game."
[Photograph 2012.201.B1389.0319]Photograph used for a story in the Oklahoma Times newspaper. Caption: "Coronation of Brenda Walker, as band queen at Okemah High School is scheduled Friday night between halves of the Okemah-Bristow football game."Oklahoma Historical Society / The Gateway to Oklahoma History · Original source
Photograph used for a story in the Daily Oklahoman newspaper. Caption: "Lawrence Wolfe never had a music lesson in his life but he and his fiddle have been audience pleasers around these parts for years."
[Photograph 2012.201.B1416.0453]Photograph used for a story in the Daily Oklahoman newspaper. Caption: "Lawrence Wolfe never had a music lesson in his life but he and his fiddle have been audience pleasers around these parts for years."Oklahoma Historical Society / The Gateway to Oklahoma History · Original source
The reviewed Oklahoma band history identifies Okemah Band in Okemah and gives the evidence date as Documented by 1919. The narrative cites a 1919 newspaper editorial advocating municipal support for the band.
Okemah BandThe reviewed Oklahoma band history identifies Okemah Band in Okemah and gives the evidence date as Documented by 1919. The narrative cites a 1919 newspaper editorial advocating municipal support for the band.Community and Municipal Bands · Original source