Esten Spurrier

Trumpet player Esten Spurrier was born on March 8, 1905, in Luray, Missouri. He was chief deputy beneath two former Scott County (Iowa) sheriffs, Walter Beuse and Frank Martin. Spurrier was later employed as a salesman, producer, and director for Davenport (Iowa) radio station WOC-AM. He also served as a memorial counselor for Davenport Memorial Park. As a musician, Spurrier spent much of the 1920s on the road with jazz bands, including many performances on riverboats traveling the Mississippi River. It is believed that Spurrier was a member of the first band that ever flew to an engagement in an airplane. Spurrier passed away on June 10, 1980, in Davenport, Iowa.