Page 154 - lake-city-florida-a-sesquicentennial-tribute-(h-morris-williams-kevin-mccarthy)-2009

Lake City, Florida: A Sesquicentennial Tribute (2009) H. Morris Williams, Dr. Kevin M. McCarthy

First night game
The first CHS night football game was played in 1936, but
the lights were so dim workers painted the football white.

First CHS band

Band director Carl Roberts started the first CHS band in
the 1937 - 1938 school year. Up until that time, the City of Lake City
had the only such group in town, the town band, which played weekly
concerts in the Olustee Park bandstand and in parades. The town
band for some reason disbanded in 1937, but generously gave their
instruments and blue uniforms to CHS, which was then on West Duval
Street.

In looking for a place to practice that would not disturb the
other students on campus, the band prac-
ticed in various places, for example an up-
stairs room on North Marion Street just west
of Olustee Park, then to the First Presbyte-
rian Church on West Nassau Street, then to
the old white brick building on West Duval
Street, and finally to a new building that the
band members’ parents built on the south-
west corner of the school property near the
corner of West St. Johns and South Fifth
streets.
The 25 members of the band worked
hard to become good musicians and played
wherever they were asked: at concerts in
Olustee Park, football games, parades,
school assemblies, and Sunday concerts in
churches. They soon became the pride of
CHS and of the whole town.

Albert Bonney is shown wearing
one of those first CHS Band uniforms.

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