Milwaukee County Wisconsin Genealogy

Police Department Band

In 1897, Chief John T. Janssen appointed Police Officer William Stupenagel to lead several officers in a small band. The band grew to where it needed to move its practice location from the old Second District Police Station located at South 6th and West Mineral Streets to an abandoned morgue on Broadway Street.

The Milwaukee Police Band as it was known gave its first live performance on April 9, 1898.

The first public appearance was on May 10, 1898, before the Annual convention of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, held in Milwaukee. As of this time, Milwaukee had the distinction of having the only Police Band in the United States.

The original members were:

Police Officer William Stupenagel
Police Officer Rygh
Police Officer W. Green
Police Officer Thoms
Police Officer Fisher
Police Officer Larson
Police Officer Shea
Police Officer Kendzerski
Police Officer Anderson
Police Officer Schlueater
Police Officer Kocher
Police Officer Bennett
Police Officer Krueger
Police Officer Tophofen
Police Officer Doerr
Police Officer Grimm
Police Officer Jones
Police Officer Murphy
Police Officer Hutchinson
Police Officer Longley
Police Officer Solverson
Police Officer Myers
Professor Winkler instructor

The first formal Director of the Police Band was Herman A. Zeitz, son of a German Bandmaster and later a Professor of Music at Marquette University

For more information on the Milwaukee Police Band, See the Milwaukee Police Department Website of Music