The Big Time City Band

Tracing its roots back to 1906 when the village fathers accepted a proposal to form a band, the Robbinsdale City Band has become the most widely known civic-sponsored musical organization in the Upper Midwest. Its rise to fame came under the directorship of Paul W. Larson in the 1930s and ’40s. Today it is the oldest continuously active marching band in America.

Harold Brodhay, Phyllis Shean, Jewell Mendenhall, Mary Durdra and Wayne Murphy pose on stage in the Robbinsdale High School Auditorium in 1946. At that time band contests were held at the State Fair. The Robbinsdale City Band is the only band ever to win seven consecutive titles. In 1948 the band was asked to appear for a Grandstand show.

During the 1940s and 1950s the Robbinsdale City Band put on large musical productions. Many included singers and majorettes. Some of the singers were Donald Lounberg, Lucille Henry, Phyllis Shean, and Wayne Murphy. Wayne (pictured above) also served as narrator and was famous for his dramatic and comedy production parts in the Twin Cities, Milwaukee, and New York City.

The Robbinsdale City Band became known around the state and was in great demand at various civic celebrations and festivities. In 1940 the band met 84 times for concerts, parades, and rehearsals. In 1941 Paul W. Larson, the band’s director, received a raise to $30.00 a month. Larson began staging annual concerts for the community complete with tickets, programs, posters, and much publicity

Vocalists, Harold Brodhay and Lucille Henry with Paul W. Larson and the Robbinsdale City Band in the Robbinsdale High School Auditorium. Larson resigned from the band in 1947 and Bob Mendenhall became the director for the next 17 years. Larson’s legacy was celebrated when he returned for the band’s 75th anniversary concert on May 28, 1981.

Paul W. Larson (left) became the Robbinsdale City Band Director in 1938. Larson is remembered as a genius of organization and showmanship. He was called away to duty in 1942, but returned to his post as director after the war. In 1939 the band was invited to march in the first Minneapolis Aquatennial Parade and was named “The Governor’s Own Band.”

Harry Hendrickson, George Armstrong, and Gerry Kranz at a uniform fitting in 1946. In 1942 the band’s old uniforms were sold to Osseo. The money received was a boost to the uniform fund, but four years later, about half the band was made up of returning servicemen; uniforms intended for high school students didn’t even come close to fitting. For instance, Harry Hendrickson was a 138 pound high school quarterback before the war. When he returned from the service he became a 203 pound guard at the University of Minnesota.

The winner of numerous accolades for musicianship as well as marching skills, the Robbinsdale City Band claimed countless awards and marched yearly in the widely-heralded Minneapolis Aquatennial Parades. The Minnesota State Fair competition awarded trophies and banners to the Robbinsdale City Band year after year.

-This post was excerpted from Images of America: Robbinsdale, by Pete Richie