Listed below is the Text from the sign shown above.

The Andrews Sisters Trail

The Andrews Sisters, LaVerne, Maxene, and Patty, grew up in Mound, Minnesota . They spent all of their summers here from 1917 through 1931, living in a house that today would be at 2506 Commerce Blvd. They also spent a lot of time at their uncles' (Peter and Ed Sollie) grocery store, which today would be at 2567 Commerce Blvd. When they won an audition at the Orpheum Theater in Minneapolis in 1931, they were hired by Larry Rich, a vaudevillian, and that was the beginning of their 65-year, show-business career.

They spent all of their childhood summers in Mound and visited here every chance they could as adults, which included at least one week each July throughout their very busy and successful careers.

Maxene, especially, had a deep love for Mound, buying 13 acres of land on Westedge Boulevard in 1951. When she died in 1995, she was cremated and some of her ashes were spread on the Pacific Ocean and some were spread on Lake Minnetonka at the Mound swimming beach.

Their Accomplishments

They recorded over 700 songs on the Decca Label, sold over 90 million records, had 113 charted hits, had 12 gold records, were the first female group to have a gold record go platinum, were in 18 movies, and were the first and only female group to be inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998. They had 46 top-ten hits in their career, which is more top-ten hits than Elvis Presley or the Beatles.

During World War II, they entertained over 161 million armed forces personnel, both in the United States and during their USO tours abroad. Daily they brought upbeat music, laughter, happiness, and hope to everyone during World War II, which was a dark period for Americans.

Patty Andrews said that because of all her happy memories in Mound, the only way she could describe Mound is, “it is Heaven on Earth!”

Author, Tom Rockvam