Lawrence Welk and Companions

When Lawrence Welk and three companions rolled into Yankton one early morning in 1927, they had no intentions of staying. Instead, their plans were to continue their trip from Bismarck, N.D., down to New Orleans to pursue their dreams as musicians.

But Welk and company wound up staying a little longer than they had planned. About 10 years longer, in fact.

After arriving, Welk hooked up with WNAX station manager Chan Gurney, who signed the Lawrence Welk Novelty Orchestra to a one-week contract.

WNAX was a Midwestern broadcasting powerhouse in those early days of radio, and the Welk band proved to be immensely popular. Welk subsequently signed a contract that kept him headquartered in Yankton for a decade.

By playing one-nighters throughout the Midwest and performing regularly on the radio station, Welk honed the musical and showmanship skills that eventually carried him to television fame.