The Niagara Frontiersmen were formed in June of 1977. The Royal Coachmen from North Tonawanda, NY lost their director prior to the Memorial Day weekend. The new director made a decision to take the corps and merge with the new corps that formed in the next town over (Frontiersmen). The Frontiersmen were also a merger of the St. Johnsburg Blue Sabres and the Youngstown Red Raiders. When the Royal Coachmen contingent walked in the corps had over 50 horns. The brass players from the original Frontiersmen could not play the music that the Royal Coachmen had and the corps played easier music their first year. I might also add that many of the older Royal Coachmen members decided to go to march with Seneca Optimists or The Imperial Regiment that year.
A show was put together very quickly and the corps was competitive throughout the 1977 season. The corps uniform was a orange and brown with a suede, floppy hat. Some corps called us the "A and W Cadets."
The Frontiersmen competed throughout New York, Canada and Pennsylvania from 1977 to 1983. In 1984 the corps changed it's name to "Vengeance" and was run by one family. The corps was always a small corps except for the first year. Many of those first year members moved on to Oakland Crusaders, 27th Lancers, Avant Garde, Seneca Optimists and Santa Clara Vanguard. Drum corps in Western New York was gone by 1987. |
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