This photo was probably taken in Canton, or perhaps Waynesburg, evidently sometime between 1870 and 1880 and is captioned "Fiala Military Band."
According to a history of Canton ("Canton", by Kimberly A. Kenney) this is the story of the band: "The GAR [Grand Army of the Republic, a fraternal organization made up of former Union soldiers] lists Fraternity, Charity, and Loyalty as the objects of their organization. They sought to "perpetuate the history and memory of the dead", "to assist such comrades-in-arms that need help and protection", and "maintain true allegiance to the United States of America."
The local GAR hosted several events over the years. "The Grand Army Band was organized in 1866, 13 years before the local GAR post was established. Though it was not directly affiliated with the GAR, a core group of Civil War veterans were charter members.
When Charles Fiala came to town in 1869, the band had no leader. Fiala was the son of a Bohemian musician and had been trained in Europe for a career in music. He took over the Grand Army Band, and the group quickly gained a reputation for being one of the finest music groups around.
An octagonal bandstand was built on Public Square in 1874 and the band gave concerts there regularly. Band members wore white trousers, long black boots, and white helmets trimmed in brass.
"In 1876 Fiala took the band to the Philadelphia Centennial where they competed with bands from all over the country. In 1901, the Grand Army Band was invited to play for the Confederate Veterans' Reunion in Dallas, TX. It was the first time a northern band had been invited to participate in a confederate gathering.
But the band earned its greatest fame playing for William McKinley's many campaigns. They played for all his congressional campaigns except for the one he lost. They also played for the conventions where he was nominated for governor and for president."