Left-Fred Hanneman
Fred H. Hanneman
Mt. Horeb's Music Man
by Dr. Raymond Guenveur
Musician, teacher, church organist, composer, conductor, band director, innovator, businessman, civic leader: Fred H. Hanneman at one time or another wore all of those hats. It is reasonable to say that he was one of the more talented persons to live in Mount Horeb.
A native of Winneconne, he moved to Mount Horeb in April 1917 to accept the positions of director of the Mount Horeb City Band and organist for the Evangelical Lutheran Church. He received his education from the Chicago Musical College and the University of Wisconsin. The year before moving to Mount Horeb Hanneman married Miss Hazel Miller. She was a fine musician in her own right and a very talented artist.
Following their move here it did not take long for Hanneman to demonstrate his enthusiasm for his music. Not only did he direct the City Band but he organized a Junior Band. On Friday evening, April 25, 1919 the Junior Band made its debut in a joint concert with the now Senior City Band. To quote the Mount Horeb Times, "....after they had completed their part of the program it was plain to see that they had made a distinct hit." The article concluded, "...One number on the program called for special attention. 'Our Heroes March,' a fine, strong, stirring march was composed by Director Hanneman."
His work did not go unnoticed. In early 1923 Hanneman was contacted by the Elkhorn school board and offered the position of high school band director, a position he planned to accept.
This announcement caused consternation among the people of Mount Horeb, who realized what Mr. Hanneman had accomplished in his years here, including his involvement in the welfare of the community. Consequently, a committee was appointed to devise ways and means to keep Hanneman here. The members included T. O. Lingard, T. S. Thompson, Rev. Fr. Rohner, Jorgen Moe, J. B. Johnson, O. B. Dahle, A. A. Babcock, Al Austin and Edward Goli.
The committee decided that the time was appropriate to establish a music program in the high school. At that time very few high schools had music programs. After listening to the recommendations of the committee the school board offered Hanneman a position as part-time music instructor.
This met with some resistance in the community, with several letters to the Times editor complaining of a possible increase in taxes and having to purchase expensive instruments for the children.
Be that as it may, the City Band agreed to raise his salary and Hanneman agreed to accept the part-time position and remain in Mount Horeb.
While researching the material for this article it was surprising to learn that the Richland Center High School band was the fist high school band organized in the United States. It was organized in 1916. It is interested too that in 1919 Hanneman had a group of high school students as a "feeder group" for the City Band. When he agreed to remain in Mount Horeb he used these students as a nucleus for his first high school band.
The next year, in February, 1924, Hanneman took his high school band to Dodgeville to a basketball game where it performed at halftime. The next day Mr. Milton Fisher, superintendent of schools at Dodgeville, called to say that the Dodgeville people were very excited about the Mount Horeb band and would Mr. Hanneman help them start one of their own.
Of course he would. Not only did he help them start a band of their own but he helped direct it for 12 years. In addition, Hanneman also organized high school bands in Barneveld, Blanchardville, Middleton and Sun Prairie.
Despite his involvement with these bands and his involvement in the Mount Horeb business community (we'll get to that in other paragraphs), he came up with the thought that the rural student should also have a band. In discussing it with teachers and school board members they agreed it was a great idea. Therefore, he contacted rural school teachers whose schools were within 15 miles of Mount Horeb. The response was enthusiastic, and very shortly thereafter 20 boys and girls came to town on Saturday mornings for band practice. Fifteen schools were represented and the band soon grew to 30 members.
Following the rural band, he organized and was the long-time director of the All-State Future Farmers of America (FFA) band.
In 1937 Mr. Hanneman was preparing for a music tournament in Mineral Point when he came down with scarlet fever and was quarantined at home. Realizing his quarantine meant finish to the school's hopes to compete and realizing he had one of the better bands ever turned out at Mount Horeb, he contacted the telephone company and they agreed to help. They arranged for a loudspeaker to be attached to the school phone. In that way his messages were received by the students and his telephone carried their music home to him. We have to assume that the band did real well in the tournament.
Despite his dedication to his music he also became deeply involved in the business community. In November, 1919 he started a business of his own dealing in pianos and phonographs. He continued this activity over the years and in 1923 a group of businessmen decided it was time to start an organization to promote Mount Horeb. A meeting was held on Feb. 3, 1923 and the Mount Horeb Advancement Association was formed. The president elected was C. O. Ruste; vice president, Andrew Hoff; secretary, yes, you guessed it, Fred Hanneman; treasurer, Carl Brechler. The slogan adopted for the Association was, "To promote the general welfare of the Mount Horeb Community."
Shortly after the Advancement Association was organized Hanneman conceived the idea of promoting an Annual Harvest Festival to be sponsored by the business community for the benefit and entertainment of the entire community, particularly for the farmers. It was a huge success with bands, a parade, a carnival and three nights of entertainment, both amateur and professional. The Festival continued for many years and was the forerunner of the present Summer Frolic.
The Advancement Association eventually became the Chamber of Commerce and Hanneman served as its president from 1936 until 1943.
In 1939, the Cave of the Mounds was discovered accidentally during quarry operations on the Brigham farm in Blue Mounds Township. Hanneman and his long-time friend, Carl Brechler, cashier of the State Bank of Mount Horeb, leased the cave property from Mr. and Mrs. Charles I. Brigham and with Alonzo Pond, a geologist, assisting, developed it into an outstanding tourist attraction and educational resource for thousands of school children. After 33 years of operation, Hanneman and Brechler retired from the cave business on Oct. 31, 1973.
With the beginning of his involvement with the cave in 1940, Hanneman's professional music teaching career came to a temporary end; he was again called upon to keep the Mount Horeb school music program alive during the World War II years. He continued as organist and choir director at Mount Horeb Evangelical Lutheran Church until 1963.
That, by no means ended his services to the village of Mount Horeb. He was elected president of the village in 1947 and served in that capacity for 16 years until his resignation in 1963. Upon accepting his resignation the village board immediately appointed him county board supervisor to complete the unexpired term of Edward Smith, who had died.
Fred Hanneman was honored by the Music Parents at the high school spring concert on May 3, 1967, when an annual F. H. Hanneman Award was established. Currently, two awards are given, one to an outstanding music student in the senior class and another to one in the eighth grade. The first recipient of an award in 1967 was Bill Vilberg.
What a dynamo! What a wonderful, productive life!
This very dedicated and talented gentleman passed away on Friday, Aug. 8, 1980. RIP
I am indebted to Anita Hanneman Gurda for much of the material in this article.
Above - one of the earliest Mount Horeb High School bands. The school district's music program was created and led by Fred Hannemann, whose musical legacy continues to this day.