Post #440341 by Bongo Bungalow on Mon, Mar 16, 2009 11:32 AM

My sister, Jan Bungalow, says she is only too pleased to add to our information pile. She has a couple of meetings this week that may produce some info. Her first phone call, and she turned up this:

"Well, I got so excited when I saw those postcards, I couldn't wait to ask around at my meetings. I called Don Winglemire, the eighty year-old owner of a 150 year-old furniture store here in Holly, and asked him. That turned out to be a good call, because he provided all of the the furnishings for the Hawaiian Gardens complex.

Fred Barton founded the company Bar's Products (still located here in Holly), which makes Bar's Leaks radiator sealant, in 1947. Sometime after that he became very wealthy when a patent infringement lawsuit against Dow Chemical was decided in his favor. Needing to lose some money for tax purposes, he began his hobby business, Hawaiian Gardens.

The multi-million dollar complex included a restaurant, entertainment lounge, banquet room, and motel. It attracted guests from all over the country, many to make use of the motel's honeymoon suites. Most of the interior furnishings were custom-made. The "talking volcano" bar in the lounge was made of real lava stone embedded with colored lights and topped with glass. Recorded sounds of an erupting volcano emanated from it. The custom-made carpet was black with iridescent scarabs in the pattern that glistened in the darkness. A girl scout troop was employed to string the thousands of beads that hung floor to ceiling. Mr. Winglemire no longer remembers the name of the company that produced the bamboo furniture used throughout, but the metal furniture was produced by a company called Metalcraft. He has no idea what has become of all of the furnishings and fixtures.

The resort was still a going concern when Mr. Barton sold it to retire to Hawaii. Mr. Winglemire isn't exactly sure when the sale took place. Based on my friend's recollection, I'd say the sale occurred in the late sixties or early seventies. It changed hands twice more and ended its life as a drug rehab center. The owner of the rehab center died about ten years ago, and the business was shut down and the buildings torn down shortly thereafter. I have no idea why the buildings were destroyed. All that is left is the remains of a parking lot with weeds growing through the cracks.

Mr. and Mrs. Barton have passed on, but they have a daughter, Barb Soloko, who still lives here in town.

Here's one more tidbit from Mr. Winglemire I forgot to mention. Because the image of the tiki character is supposed to bring good luck, the Bartons had tiny plastic tiki images scattered on the tables so that every guest could take home a tiki, and thus take home good luck."

When she digs up more I'll post it here. In the meantime, I'll thank Jan on everyone's behalf.