Ashland Band Shell

By Sharon Manthei

At its dedication in 1934, Mayor Dodd proclaimed the Band Shell to make Ashland “one of those cities in the vanguard of those expressing their appreciation of musical instruction”.     

The Band Shell was built with bricks from the old Blast Furnace. The foundation and floor slab was a CWA project. Much of the work and some of the materials were donated, including Frank Tomlinson, who superintended the building and was on the job early and late giving his time and services as a donation.

The first flag painted on the Band Shell was by the brush of James Gundry of Ashland & Bayfield, a long-time sign painter of this area. Gundry looked over the ceiling of the new Band Shell to figure out how he could paint a flowing, rippling flag on the curved surface and bring out the proper proportions. After considerable study, he determined to draw on the flat surface of a stereopticon slide, a picture of a rippling flag. He then inserted the slide into the stereopticon machine and focused it on the shell’s ceiling, magnifying the flag drawing many times. When he had the size flag he wanted on the ceiling, he then outlined the image. After painting the flag in, all saw how he had captured the effect of the flag in motion from the wind.

Since Gundry’s flag, other artists who have painted their versions of the flowing flag include Desmond Douglas, Tom Jackson and Sue Prentice Martinson.

In 1996, the state of the Band Shell was deteriorating. The United Chequamegon Veterans launched a Band Shell Project to help the city with renovation costs. By means of a letter sent to area organizations and businesses and the sale of T-shirts, the group raised about half the money needed for the repairs. The repairs were completed that same year.

Today the Band Shell is used for Memorial Day Services conducted by the Chequamegon Area Veterans, a center for Bay Days Productions and events, summer band concerts and other various activities during the summer.