About 1889, an orchestra was formed in Lykens, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, consisting of Lykens merchant W. S. Prim and his young girls. According to a history submitted to the Lykens Standard in 1906, Mr. Prim, a merchant, was forced out of business following the flooding and closing of the Short Mountain Colliery in 1889 and the failure of his customers who worked at the mines to meet their debt obligations to him. The orchestra, which he had formed just prior to the flooding, had only performed twice. Following the business failure, Mr. Prim moved to New York City where his girls were schooled in music and within a few years were performing, mainly at charitable events. Then, due to the illness of one of the young girls the family moved to Upstate New York, where the orchestra continued to perform, also mainly at charitable events. The death of oldest daughter Jennie Prim in Philadelphia resulted in the end of the orchestra.
Not much is known about the orchestra, its founder W. S. Prim, or the daughters. A few other news articles have been found and are appended at the end of this post.
From the Lykens Standard, “Letter to the Editor,” April 27, 1906:
EDITORS STANDARD – Some time has elapsed since last I was in communication with the readers of the STANDARD through its columns, and as something has just occurred in this city which I believe will interest at least a few of your readers, I respectfully ask your indulgence for the following:
About 17 years ago the Prim Family Orchestra was started in Lykens by the father, W. S. Prim, assisted by Jonas Garman Jr. They only appeared in public twice in Lykens when the heavy rains which caused the Johnstown flood also drowned out Short Mountain Colliery. Mr. Prim at that time kept a small store on Main Street, at present [1906] occupied by George Skelton. It was customary then to give credit from one pay day to another, but when the suspension occurred at the mines, Mr. Prim’s customers failed to pay for the goods purchased during the previous month, and he was compelled to go out of business. He came on a visit to friends in this city [New York] and while here determined to make a new start in life and sent for his family. He would not allow any of his girls to work in stores, as his sole ambition was to continue the family orchestra, and until he had them musically educated to that degree of proficiency when he felt satisfied the were competent to compete with the thousands of entertainers in this city, it was a great struggle indeed. But, success crowned his efforts, and the orchestra gave, free of all charge, for the benefit of every denomination in New York City except the Jewish Synagogue and Salvation Army, for two years; filled 32 dates under contract with the “Evening World” for the benefit of the sick baby fund, and the same season 15 dates for the Central Republican Club. And thus I might go on telling of the many successes achieved by this family. I remember the appearance of the baby of the family (born at Lykens) in the grand concert given at Dr. Ramsey’s church, 125th street and Madison Avenue, at the age of 5 years. It was her first violin solo, followed by other members of the family in songs, cornet and ‘cello solos, and so pleased was the audience that for one hour and thirty minutes they drank in the sweet melodies produced by this gifted family. The entertainment was the more pleasing because it was rendered by children, and thus they went on climbing the ladder of musical fame until they were known throughout the entire city. Now the sequel: Sickness steps in and snatches one of the girls from the group and cripples the band, because she was the trombone player. The cornet player was then afflicted with pulmonary troubles and had to be removed to the Adirondacks, when Mr. Prim took the whole band 40 miles above Saratoga and remained there for two years, giving concerts and teaching in all the different towns from Ticonderoga to Fairhaven, Vermont. The cornet player then came of age and wanted to get married and settle down, and so Mr. Prim disbanded the Prim Family Band forever. And it was a great pity, as they pleased wherever they went, and was the only family band in New York City made up of all one family. Then again, the children of Harlem had a good friend and teacher, as Mr. Prim took great pleasure in teaching little boys and girls to play as a band in concerts.
The oldest daughter, who was a grand singer, and the only lady in the city that ever sang a high class song and played her own accompaniment on a violin, now lies dead at their home in the Bronx. She was a great lover of old people, and more than one old lady will miss her encouraging words and caresses, and cry out to themselves, “Of for a touch of the hand that is still, or a sound of the voice that is hushed.”
Jennie died at the Hahnemann Hospital [Philadelphia], April 20th [1906]. Buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, April 25th.
Respectfully,
SYMPATHY
New York City, April 21, 1906
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From the New York Tribune, December 7, 1897:
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From the New York World, December 11, 1897:
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From the Glen Falls (New York) Post Star, July 17, 1902:
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From the Glen Falls (New York) Post Star, November 2, 1902:
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From the Glen Falls (New York) Post Star, November 20, 1902:
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News articles from Newspapers.com.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.