Harold Bachman was born on September 2nd, 1882 in Atlanta, Illinois to Clark B. and Anna Belle Bachman. In 1889 the family moved to Lakota, where Clark tried farming. They stayed there a little over a decade before moving in the early 1900s to Renville County, a rural area 30 miles northwest of Minot. Since his childhood, Harold Bachman was interested in music, but it was in Minot where that interest blossomed into a career.
He bought a cornet from a Chicago mail-order house, and in 1903 started playing in small circuses and bands. In 1909 he enrolled at the preparatory school for the North Dakota Agricultural College, where band director Clarence Putnam instantly recognized his talent and made him his chief musician. Bachman got his first taste of leading in 1910 when Putnam was too sick to conduct a touring concert and put Bachman in charge.
After the preparatory school, Harold attended NDAC from 1912 to 1916, during which time he played in the Barnes Circus Band. And when Dr. Putnam resigned, Harold was his replacement. But one year after graduation, the United States entered World War I and Bachman sent a letter to Angus Fraser, the adjutant general of the National Guard, volunteering to recruit members for a National Guard band. By November 26th, Bachman had formed his band and they were headed to Europe where they joined the 116th Engineers of the 41st Division.
They picked up a name for the band when playing on Christmas in the army barracks in St. Nazaire, France. General Hunter Liggett turned to Colonel Walker while they played and said, “Colonel, that band is worth a million dollars to the United States Army." The comment made its way to Bachman who instantly chose to adopt “the Million Dollar Band” as the group’s name.
When the war ended, Bachman came home and began the Bachman Musical and Entertainment Company with his father, brother, and two other men. They based their headquarters in Fargo, then Minot, and eventually Chicago. The Million Dollar Band continued to perform throughout the country until the second World War when they were sent to perform in the Pacific Theater. After the war, Bachman had a highly successful career, and in 1952 he received the Outstanding Achievement Award from North Dakota Agricultural College. He died on this date in 1972.
Dakota Datebook written by Lucid Thomas
Sources:
http://www.library.ufl.edu/spec/archome/MS39.htm
https://archives.lib.umd.edu/repositories/4/resources/267
https://www.inforum.com/entertainment/2911001-eriksmoen-conductor-million-dollar-band-lived-north-dakota
