It’s History Trivia Tuesday and Britt Festivals’ 2025 summer season is well underway. But did you know that a century before John Trudeau launched Britt Festivals on Peter Britt’s donation land claim, Britt himself hosted informal band concerts on the porch of his house in the 1860s?

Music was part of Germanic culture and Jacksonville’s German speaking immigrants turned 19th Century Jacksonville into a musical culture center. Almost everyone in town owned a musical instrument, and many participated in Jacksonville’s Silver Cornet Band. The band was a popular attraction at town events and enlivened many social occasions. They even had their own band wagon which allowed them to “tour” the Valley. Members had to own their instruments, attend all rehearsals, and show up for performances. 

Although the band won many contests, not all residents were fans. Someone described it as “adding a harmonious noise to the community and may have had something to do with driving the predatory wild animals out of the forest surrounding Jacksonville.”