Left: Gustav Hilverkus performs at an Easter Sunrise Service on Mount Rubidoux. Right: In 1915, Marcella Craft, shown in this photo by the cross, performed “The Holy City” instead of Hilverkus

Gustav Hilverkus

Hilverkus traveled to the U.S. in 1893 to perform with a German band at the Chicago World’s Fair. He initially settled in Des Moines, Iowa, but came to Riverside and directed the Riverside Military Band. The band, formed in 1900, is Riverside’s oldest band. Under Hilverkus, the band played frequently at the Fairmount Park band […]