Music Heritage
The gentleman playing the trumpet in the mural represents Elkhorn's extraordinary brass instrument legacy — more than 125 years of music history that still resonates today.
Elkhorn, Wisconsin boasts a rich music history that spans more than 125 years and still continues today.
Frank Holton & the Brass Instrument Boom
Frank Holton, a former trombonist in John Philip Sousa's band, received strong incentives to relocate his Chicago-based brass instrument business to Elkhorn in 1918 — including a factory located at 320 N. Church Street and housing for workers on what is now N. Broad Street. At its peak, Holton's 200 employees produced a wide range of professional and student-grade trumpets, trombones, and french horns, making Elkhorn the largest brass instrument manufacturer in the country.
A local orchestra, the Holton–Elkhorn Band, sprang from the company's presence and still gives several free community performances each year.
The Getzen Legacy
Other instrument manufacturers emerged in the community in the decades that followed, all founded and helmed by the Getzen family: The Getzen Company in 1939, Allied Music Corporation in 1963, and Edwards Band Instrument Company in 1989. These companies continue to keep our musical heritage alive in the Elkhorn community today.
Joseph Philbrick Webster
Elkhorn was also the home of famed Civil War-era composer Joseph Philbrick Webster (1819–1875), an American composer and songwriter best known for his hymn "In the Sweet By and By." Webster composed over a thousand songs during his career, including parlor songs, hymns, and patriotic music. His Elkhorn home is now a museum maintained by the Walworth County Historical Society, open to the public during the summer season on Fridays 1:00–4:00pm and Saturdays 10:00am–2:00pm.
The Elkhorn Band Shell
The Elkhorn Band Shell, listed on the National Register of Historic Places with State-level significance, is one of the greatest examples of outdoor acoustical engineering in the country. Originally designed by George Pheby and constructed in 1926 with support from Frank Holton and the Elkhorn Kiwanis Club, the band shell in Sunset Park has hosted thousands of concerts, plays, and community performances for almost 100 years. A capital campaign for its renovation is slated to begin in 2026 in alignment with its 100th Anniversary.
