After more than a century, one of Lebanon County's first bands
is still playing at events around the region. The Perseverance
Band was founded before the American Civil War, celebrating its
155th anniversary in 2012. Originally called the Perseverance
Saxe Horn Band, it was established on March 2, 1857. The
meetings to establish the band were held in the Perseverance
Engine and Hose Company, which was located at the corner of
Willow Street and Liberty Alley. The first band leader was John
Stanley. "The band was formed for housing the fire company's
equipment in 1857. They had a new hose carriage," said Wayne
Fox, current band leader. The band's first official duty was a
parade to house the new small hose carriage, The band's first
engagement on May 15, 1857, was a success, and "their Fox said
today's band does not play those pieces but added that there are
quickstep pieces in the band's library. "We're in the process of
cataloguing the library. We're finding a lot of things from the
1800s," Fox said. Longtime