Lewiston Band Stand & Early Entertainment

Lewiston Band Stand and Early Entertainment. . , On this site stood the town band stand in the early 1900's. Lewiston at the time boasted a population of between 800 and 1,000 residents and that did not include the men at the many lumber camps and the transient workers in boarding houses all over town. It was a busting frontier town that was hungry for entertainment. , , Band concerts, dances and even the occasional opera troupe were popular forms of entertainment. And in those days, if you wanted to hear music, you either played it yourself with a few neighbors or you went to hear a local band, as it would be many years before radio reached Lewiston. Band concerts were held every summer Friday night here and, in the winter, there were weekly concerts and dances at the Town Hall. , , This corner of Hanson and Kneeland has had a long history of entertainment and hospitality which is still carried on today by the friendly taverns that have occupied this site in the iconic log cabin that dates to 1918 and we know today as Talley's Bar. , , The Talley's name comes from the family that owned the tavern from 1945 to 1968. Previous to this, it was owned by the Dixon family and called the Log Cabin Café which was oddly famous for its chicken chop suey. Today, Talley's is a third generation Smith Family business that continues the fine traditions that our residents have experienced at this corner since the beginning of the last century. , , The Lewiston Cornet Band was often the source of musical entertainment, and they were in high demand all over the northern counties. There were 10 members of the band, and they were all from Lewiston. They were led by Professor George Sheldon who was a famous soloist trombone player and a graduate of the Grand Rapids Conservatory of Music. , , The Fourth of July band concerts, political speeches, and picnics were the highlight of the summer and a spectacle for which people travelled far and wide to attend. The Michigan Central RR would add a special excursion train to handle all the traffic into town. , , Donated by Talley's Log Cabin Bar. , , The Lewiston Heritage Trail is a DDA project funded by private donors with period photos and historical text provided by the Lewiston Area Historical Society.