Capps Kingman Kid Band

Capps Kingman Kid Band 1908

This is a photograph of Capps Kingman Band taken on the west steps of the Kingman court house in July 1908.

Front row: W.J. Branden, Bert Reed, Frank Capps, Frank Spurrier, Oscar Capps
Second row: Beach Cragun, Adna Palmer, Eugene Harlow, Russell Branden
Third row: Wilbur Gillett, Lee Godown, Harlow Brown, Sam Charpie
Fourth row: Charles Mollet, Harold Riney, Frank Meade, Harry Capps
Back row: Harry Wait, Marvin Light, Emmett Connor, Horace Brown

This band was organized by Oscar Capps and W. J. Branden in June, 1905. It was made up of boys from twelve to fourteen years of age and was first known as the Kingman Kid band. Later it took the name of its director, Oscar Capps. The picture was taken the morning the kids left for Denver as the official Kansas band at the Democratic national convention which began July 6, 1908 and at which convention William Jennings Bryan was nominated as the presidential candidate. The following account was written by A.R. Hansmann and appeared in the Kingman Journal of July 17, 1908.

"It is enough to make the heart of every Kingman citizen swell with pride to know the manner in which the Capps Kingman band covered itself with glory at the convention. There were all of two dozen bands present, but ours was - like everything and everybody from Kansas- always right in the front of the push. It was everywhere conceded that this band played the old favorite "Dixie" better than any other band in the city, and wherever they apeared with their instruments shouts and clamor for Dixie arose. The band played at headquarters in the lobby of the Albany hotel Monday, again Tuesday and Tuesday evening. By common consent it headed a monster Bryan parade up the street to headquarters of the biggest Democrats at the Savoy. The way it played the official convention march, "Democratic Fun", brought forth cheers until the streets of Denver rang. And nothing was too good for the boys. At the Savoy the big boys just took possession of them, carried them into the dining room and had refreshments served. Everybody wanted to shake hands with them. And you ought to have heard the cheers they got wherever their red uniforms put in an appearance. Wednesday morning at 10 o'clock it became known outside that the "band in red" would serenade in the Albany lobby, and soon folks were packing the galleries like sardines in a box. They gave a fine concert at this time, stimulated by the incessant applause that was given them. Every now and then a tremendous call for "Dixie" would stampede the place, and the boys played it again and again, each time cheered till the dome rang. And in the midst of it all was "Uncle Billy" Branden, father and patron saint of the band, smiling a yard wide, busy as a hen with three dozen chicks, proud and happy. Never in all the time of the convention was any band given such an ovation. It is something every one of those splendid young men will remember as long as he lives."