 John E. Butler, one of the veterans, had traveled on an orphan train to Princeton, Indiana, where he was a drummer boy with the 17th Indiana Brigade.The first known director of the band was William Bell, who had been a cornet player in his native England.Later directors of the band included Charles Brassington, who led the band from the 1880s until 1918, Charles Ackley, who had led the "house" band at Cedar Point amusement park, and Edwin W. Frye, who served the longest in that capacity, retiring from active bandmastering in 2000.