MACHIAS — The Cattaraugus County Museum and Research Library will kick off its 14th annual “Summer at the Stone House” event series on June 12 with musician and educator Mark Jones, who will present a program titled “Bands and Bandsmen of the Civil War.”
Jones is a classical musician who has played tuba with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Erie Philharmonic, the New Sousa Band and many other groups. He is also a collector of antique musical instruments and ephemera, with an emphasis on Civil War music.
Jones currently sits on the board of directors of the Hamburg Historical Society and is a member of the Company of Military Historians, the NYS Military Museum and the Historical Brass Society. He has given presentations at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, in New York City, the University of Iowa and Ithaca College.
Jones will present a PowerPoint program on Civil War bands and bandsmen, the use and importance of the brass bands and the songs they provided to the troops. He will even demonstrate on an actual instrument used during the Civil War.
All “Summer at the Stone House” programs take place at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursdays, June through August. They will be held under an event tent on the museum lawn, rain or shine, and are free and open to the public. Some seating will be available, but attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs if they wish. For those unable to attend in person, events will be live-streamed on the museum’s YouTube channel.
Note that the museum will host two programs with a focus on the Erie Canal, which is celebrating its bicentennial this year.
The full “Summer at the Stone House” schedule for 2025 is:
• June 12 – Mark Jones, “Bands and Bandsmen of the Civil War”
• June 26 – Dave Ruch, “Traditional and Historic Music From WNY”
• July 10 – Linda Hunter, “Got Scraps? Let’s Make Quilts!”
• July 24 – Allen Hopkins, “Music of the Erie Canal”
• Aug. 14 – Steph Adams, “Bicentennial Basics of the Erie Canal”
• Aug. 28 – Jeanette Sheliga, “Between the Census Years” (genealogy)
In addition, “Family Day at the Museum” will return Saturday, June 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. As part of New York State Tourism’s “Path Through History” weekend, the museum will be open for families to come see our exhibits. As a special attraction, the WNY Fiddle Kids will perform at noon.
The Cattaraugus County Museum is located in the Stone House, 9824 Route 16 in Machias. For more information, visit the museum’s Facebook page or call (716) 353-8200.
