Alberta Street Stories

Burt Turner and his wife taught music at the YMCA located at Tillamook and Williams. In 1936, Turner was hired under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) as the community bandmaster. Former students of his described the band practices as follows: “Even small children who were not even in the band came to rehearsal to watch and imitate. Burt would march up and down the street and it was quite a spectacle. The police would block the main street with cars. Burt was like a basketball coach who let everyone play regardless of their skill level. This fairness gave all the kids a chance to get better.”

[in Robert Dietsche, Jumptown. Oregon State University Press, Corvallis, 2005.]