As one of the oldest, and nearly last, continually operating community bands in Michigan, the Negaunee City Band has a long history within the community.  The band as it now stands was formed in 1898.

This was an outgrowth of an earlier brass band formed in 1890 by the English Oak Lodge, a group of Cornish citizens in the city of Negaunee who played brass instruments.  Mr. John Stecher, a renowned coronet soloist of the time, was urged by his musical friends to form a unit that would include reed as well as brass instruments and would provide an opportunity for residents of other nationalities to play.

The result was the organization of a City Band by Stecher, who conducted the the band until 1908 when he resigned due to illness.  During the period from 1908 to 1916 the unit was under the leadership of Ernest Hawke, Richard Goldworthy, Hebert Gribble, Stephen Paull, and Charles Laity, each of whom served a year or so.