The Taneytown Coronet Band was formed in 1884 from the remains of the Copperville Band (Copperville is located two miles (3.2 km) southeast of Taneytown). According to Reid, the first conductor was J.N.O. Smith, a prominent local auctioneer and businessperson. Among the original members were Levi Sell (1861-1915), Harry S. Koons (b. 1858), Oliver Hiner, Ed Favorite, and U.B. Pilot.
As the Band was forming and becoming organized, and members identified, officers were elected, and a leader was appointed. Following the Band’s charter acquisition by H.M. Clabough, the newly formed Taneytown Band assumed Copperville's debt, uniforms, instruments, and chariot. Following Taneytown's citizens' help in paying off the debt, the inherited instruments and uniforms were replaced with new ones. The new uniforms consisted of tan coats and gray caps, trimmed with red, styled after those which the soldiers of the Union Army wore during the Civil War. The caps were topped off with Pompons of red and white (interchangeable with feather plumes that were yellow or red).
At first, the music played was quite simple, and the Band was small— eleven in number for several years. Gradually, instrumentation and membership increased, and soon the Band reached the same level of music proficiency as the other bands in the county. About 1908, A. H. (Bob) Bankert took charge until 1912. Under Bankert, the Band's reputation grew, and membership increased to twenty.
Several stories of the band members appeared over the years. Perhaps one of the most legendary appeared in the June 21, 1933, Harrisburg Telegraph. According to the story, a young medical student attended the Taneytown Fair in 1931. Seeing a great deal of shuffling on the stage, the medical student approached the band director. The band director informed the student that the bass horn player did not feel like playing that night. "I can handle the bass horn," the student told the director, but the student insisted that the bass horn player accompany him. So, as the story goes, "they got their horns and tooted along together." Eventually, the medical student graduated, hung his shingle in Taneytown, and became Dr. Thomas Martin (1907-1973). Dr. Martin later moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, where he became a respected Eye Surgeon.
In 1935, the Band underwent some changes; on May 17, 1935, The Hanover Evening Sun wrote that the Chamber of Commerce made public that a concert would take place by the newly organized Band on the square Saturday night, May 18. The show was the first appearance in the Band’s new uniforms. The band officers were listed as Dr. Thomas Martin, President; Marlin Reid, Vice-President; Paul Fair, Secretary and Harry Baumgartner, Treasurer.
An article in The Evening Sun (Hanover, Pa), June 10, 1980, claimed that G. Emory "Cutie" Hahn (1893-1983) may have been the last surviving Old Taneytown Coronet band member. According to Emory, Saturday evenings in Taneytown were social events. All the people from the area farms and smaller communities would come into town to shop, stay around to visit with neighbors and friends, and enjoy the Band's music on the square. At that time, Taneytown could boast three hotels, two blacksmith shops, a few bakeries, and numerous other stores.
Emory started working at Baumgartner's bakery as an apprentice for three dollars a week. As a young man, he worked jobs in Taneytown. Besides being a baker, he worked for Stokes Creamery and Cambridge Rubber Company. He became the Deputy Sheriff in 1930 and later the Chief of Police in Taneytown.
Emory became interested in the Taneytown Coronet Band through a friend. He used to ride to Detour in a horse and buggy with his friend to listen to the band practice; it was not long before his friend convinced Emory to march in the Band too.
One parade stands out in Emory's mind. The parade took place in Frederick during the dedication of the Odd Fellows Hall. As Emory carried the flag, a fierce storm rolled in. "Stick to your colors," Emory was told by the parade major when he asked if they should take cover.
Despite the wind, rain, and thunder, Emory held the colors high as he marched along the parade route. The storm had passed when he reached the Odd Fellows Hall. Upon hearing the crowd's thunderous cheers, Emory raised his head; looking behind him, he realized the other parade participants had sought shelter, leaving him alone to finish the parade.
In 1943, the Band, established in 1884, no longer had parade routes to march or concerts to play. Eventually, Taneytown's Band faded, and the remnants were absorbed into the Taneytown Lodge of the Odd Fellows' marching band.
