McCook's First Band Man, 'Col.' H.P. Sutton

(Note: A recent inquiry came our way. A newcomer to McCook wanted to know about the history of the large clock that graces the lawn of the Carnegie Library on Norris, as well as the Sutton family.)

By 1889, McCook was a very confident new community, and while there were small musical groups in town that played for dances in homes or the church social hall, the town leaders felt that to be a first class city they needed a real band. Fortunately, Alexander Campbell, the Superintendent of the Burlington Railroad was one of the leaders of this group.

Somehow, Mr. Campbell heard about a young fellow at Atkinson, Harvey Sutton by name, who operated a Jewelry Store in Atkinson, but had played in a traveling circus. People said good things about the band and orchestra that Harvey had formed in Atkinson since his arrival in that city. What's more, Sutton's Atkinson Band was subsidized by the Northwestern Railroad, and had played at celebrations at towns on the Northwestern Line, from Valentine to Plainview to Sioux City.

Surely McCook's Burlington Railroad should be able to showcase a bigger and better band than the smaller Northwestern Railroad. A committee of business men made the trip to Atkinson to invite Harvey Sutton to visit McCook. The town's fathers were prepared to offer him a contract that he would be unable to refuse.

Harvey Putman Sutton was born in western New York State in 1860, to a family of musicians. Harvey was 8 years old when his father, a traveling musical instrument salesman, died. Thereupon, Harvey and his mother went to live with an older brother, who operated a jewelry store and also directed the town band in Dexter, Michigan.

It was quite natural that Harvey should continue musical training along with his school studies. He became very competent in a number of different instruments, and good enough with the E-flat bass that he landed a job with the touring Forepaws and Sells Circus. It was while touring with this circus that he first came to Nebraska, to Grand Island, in 1882.

In the mid-1880s Harvey was stricken ill while the circus band he was playing an engagement in Chicago, and Harvey was left behind in that city. Upon recovery, he flipped a coin -- "Should he go back East to New York, or should he go west, to Nebraska?" Atkinson, Nebraska, became his destination, where he took out a homestead, opened a jewelry store, and organized a town band and orchestra. All three ventures were met with success.

It was springtime when Harvey arrived in McCook. And Spring is the time that brewers clean out their vats and brew a special beer they call Bock Beer.

By way of introducing Harvey Sutton to McCook, the committee saw fit to visit a number of saloons so Harvey could meet the leading figures of the city. At each stop, he was treated to a stein or two of Bock Beer, which Harvey found packed quite a wallop. When the day of interviews was over and the committee members escorted Harvey to his train back to Atkinson, he was in a "befuddled" state and concluded that McCook, with its saloons and Bock Beer was really more than he cared to handle.

However, Mr. Campbell and his committee were determined, and over the next days they bombarded Harvey, via telegraph, with incentives for his coming to McCook. Finally, they offered help in re-establishing his jewelry store in McCook, and promised him the position of Burlington Division Watch Inspector (an important, and lucrative position in that day).

They also promised to find paid positions with the railroad for Sutton's bandsmen, with ample time for the band's performances. The clincher was the promise of $75 per month salary for the director, to be paid by contributing McCook merchants. (This was discontinued after the first month.)

McCook, the Burlington Railroad, and Sutton proved to be an ideal combination. Over the decade of the 1890s, the Burlington Band became the pride of the city, and served as the Railroad's "Good Will Ambassadors," performing to enthusiastic audiences at celebrations in cities along the Burlington Route from Chicago to Denver.

In the 1890s, the Nebraska State Fair was held in Hastings, with McCook's Burlington Band as the Official State Fair Band. They were chosen to be the official band for the Trans-Mississippi Exposition in Omaha in 1898, first place at the Denver Festival of Mountains and Plains in 1899, and official band of the Knights Templar Conclave in Denver in 1913.

All this in addition to their frequent concerts in McCook, notably the summer concerts, given on the corner of Main Street and C Street. These concert, "Were attended and enjoyed, not only by the folks in McCook, but by the people from towns and country for miles around." The bandstand was pulled by horses to the center of the square, and arch lights were lowered for illumination for the bandsmen.

Harvey Sutton, along with the Burlington Band, prospered in the years after his coming to McCook, and Harvey and his wife, Eliza were leaders in community affairs, he as a progressive business man, she, as one of the leaders of McCook Society. In 1907, she made the arrangements with the architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, for the building of a grand new home at 602 Main (Norris) Ave., and was much involved in the supervision of the building of that home.

Harvey Sutton's Jewelry Store was an interesting place. In addition to watches and jewelry, at various times the store was an outlet for bicycles, eye glasses, and housed McCook's first radio station. (Note: later, under the management of Harvey's son, Harold, the store was also the unofficial headquarters of the Red Willow County Republicans, earning Harold Sutton the title of "Mr. Republican.")

Despite Harvey's encounter with Bock Beer, he had a rather close association with "spirits" for the rest of his life. The McCook Elks' Club, for many years was across the street from the Sutton (Frank Lloyd Wright) home, and Mr. Sutton was a regular afternoon visitor.

Tom Colfer related an experience he had with Mr. Sutton. On a summer evening, during the 1920s, during prohibition, Tom and some of his high school cronies were going home when they noticed smoke coming from the Sutton home. The boys rushed over to see if they could help. Mrs. Sutton was frantic, and Mr. Sutton was madly trying to move some of their valuables from the house -- including a very large Grandfather Clock, attached to a chest. When the boys attempted to pick up the clock they found it very heavy. "Yes," said Mr. Sutton, "It is heavy, because the chest is full of my music books," and he directed the boys to carry it across the street to safety.

In carrying the clock across the street Tom said that he heard a strange clink. Upon opening the chest, he found that there were some music books, but mainly it was filled with bottles of liquor, Harvey's home supply of spirits -- very much not legal at that time.

Mr. Sutton was not just interested in business and band music. He was an avid lover of all sports. He was said to have been an expert fisherman, an expert trap and game shot, and a top notch billiard player. He loved baseball and never missed a game played by the Air Base team during World War II. He could always be found sitting with the Air Base Band at the games.

For many years, Harvey and some of his buddies made an annual fishing trip to Colorado or Minnesota, to mark another birthday for Harvey. In 1945, when he was 85 years old, Harvey had to break that tradition. He was willing, but all of his friends were gone, too infirm, or occupied with other activities, and he did not care to go alone.

Though Mr. Sutton had given up his association with bands during the 30s, from time to time he would come back to direct the band as a guest conductor. Harold Larmon remembered that, even in old age, Col. Sutton had a good strong, steady beat. Mr. Sutton was invited to take the podium one last time, in 1945, to direct the MHS Band in a concert at the Norris Park Band Shell, which facility was dedicated to "McCook's First Music Man, Col. H.P. Sutton."

Source: Trails West to Red Willow Co., by Ray and Rutledge; McCook Centennial Gazette; Faces of McCook