The Polynesia Waupaca Wisconsin

Hello all,

I am in the process of trying to collect information on this long gone TIKI Supper Club/ Hotel/Coffee shop. At least that is what it says on the reverse of this matchcover. My wife was born in Waupaca Wisconsin and still has family there. She says she faintly
remembers going to this place with her mom and dad when she was a very young child.

From what she tells me there were actually two TIKI places in Waupaca Wisconsin. The other being the Outrigger.

I have been trying to research both establishment's but have not been able to come up with much yet except the matchbook for the Polynesia (Pictured). It seems to have been quite an elaborate place based on the exterior shot. I was wondering if anyone has any information or ephemera to share for either of these places? Based on what my research uncovers i will post updates.

Aloha

Bail-Tekey

[ Edited by: Bail Tekey 2008-06-30 10:49 ]

[ Edited by: bail tekey 2008-06-30 11:17 ]

[ Edited by: Bail Tekey 2008-06-30 11:18 ]

Fascinating! It's "Fort Tiki"! Can you post the whole matchcover? Sometimes a typeface jogs my memory...

Big Bro,

I am reposting the front of the matchbook with a clearer picture. I have also included the back of the matchbook. I wonder who provided the interiors and the TIKI's in respect that this is Approx. 2.5 hrs from Milwaukee and at least 3.5 to 4 hrs from Downtown Chicago. It would have been quite a trek back then and located literlly in the middle of nowhere. My wife said she would wager that they had a Polynesia before they even had a McDonalds! Those were the days!

Bail-Tekey

Cool, thank you, much better picture. Yet no recognition of either type nor Tiki style. This might have been an island of its own.

Thanks so much for sharing this with us! That place looks pretty darned neat, from the outside at least.

What do you know about where it was located, exactly? I looked up Hwys 22 & 54 on a map, and it looks like there's a fair amount of overlap (I imagine that when this place was operating, that wasn't the case?). The phone number appears to have been reassigned to a residence.

I've created an entry for it in Critiki:
Polynesia Supper Club

try google earth maps...maybe you can see the intersection and see if a building is still on that location and if it's the same shape....

I do know that about five years ago a major highway redevelopment project changed the old highway layout to make room for a new (Hwy 10). My wife thinks that there is a possibility where the new highway is located might be where the old Polynesia once stood. Because she is not 100% certain in the next couple of weeks we are going to venture up to see if we just cant find the exact location. I am also going to go to their public library (if I get a chance) to see if I can unearth any old newspaper advertisements.

I grew up in the Waupaca area. The Polynesian was at the point where Fulton Street and Hillcrest divided as you entered town from the west. I ate there once or twice before 1973 when I graduated and left town. It was too expensive for a farm family to eat at for more than special occasions. I don't know what's there now but it was another restaurant and then I think it was used for some sort of car or truck dealership. Hwy 49 still goes through Waupaca along Fulton Street.

Satellite view

When you get to the library, check the old phone books first. Easy to find and may give you a good opening year at least to then hit the papers for a grand opening.

Cool, Tim. Maybe some of those buildings behind the big mall in the lower right corner? They look like old residences...BT, the intrepid urban archeologist has no fear of knocking on doors and inquiring from the natives and elders surrounding a site!

Thank you Big Bro, Swanky, waupakist... I will definitely look into the city directory/phone books and follow up with whatever archives of newspapers they have. Waupaca seems to have an older community that is still intact so digging up some information I hope will not be too difficult. And yes, if it comes to knocking on doors so be it.

I hope to start my research in the next couple of weeks, i will follow up with a post on what i find out.

Aloha!

Mike

[ Edited by: Bail Tekey 2008-07-01 12:03 ]

[ Edited by: Bail Tekey 2008-07-01 12:04 ]

Here is a Google Earth view of the area to the East of Waupaca. The circle in yellow is where the Polynesia used to stand as far as I can tell. It seems to have been leveled.

Here is a closer view of the immediate area of the site that I suspect was the Polynesia.

The pink arrows point to what I suspect was the original road as shown on the matchbook (right up next to where the building was). You can see the line, which is similar to lines where roads used to be. It seems like they widened the road and moved it a few yards north.

The green arrow represents the direction I believe the picture was taken on the matchbook.

The head of the green arrow is located at the point where I believe Hwy 22 turned into Hwy 54, now both overlapping. If you look at Google Earth from higher up, it lists the road to the right as 54 and the road to the left as 22, but if you drill down it's called 22-54. This is one of the main reasons I believe this is the former site.

The other reason is that all the other property is just farmland and there do not seem to be any other locations that could claim to be situated at Hwys 22 & 54, whereas this one is clearly there. From a virtual altitude of about 1500 feet, I cruised both ways along that highway looking for standing buildings or ruins that might have been the Polynesia. I went much farther in each direction than anyone way back when would expect to go to find a place at Hwys 22 & 54, finding nothing. This is the only legitimate spot and it fits.

The red star represents where I believe the buildings shown on the matchbook must have been located. The part of the road that you see on the matchbook photo I'm guessing, therefore, is Hwy 54 just east of where it met 22. The buildings you see in the aerial view would have to be located to the right and behind the Polynesia in the matchbook photo. You can see a change in color between the ground where the buildings sit and the ground of vacant lot where I've placed the red star. Because the existing buildings follow that line between the two lots so exactly, I'm guessing that they were built before the Polynesia came down. Maybe having the same owner (being built so close to the line).

I would presume that if someone were to drive out to this property and inquire, they'd be able to tell you all sorts of stuff about the Polynesia and who to contact to possibly acquire memorabilia. I assume that's your ad on Craigslist.

Good luck. Let me know if my guesses turn out to be correct.

Once again too impatient to run spellcheck

[ Edited by: The Gnomon 2008-07-01 13:55 ]

That pinpoints it. No guesswork.

If there were two polynesian places, I might have the name wrong after 35 years so I wouldn't dismiss anyone's research out of hand.

I grew up about an hour from Waupaca, and have several aunts and uncles who grew up within 20 mile of the city.

I did do some research, and found the following information.

The restaurant location was originally known as the 'Bring er Inn' located on West Fulton Street. In November, 1971, the owners started a half-million dollar addition - that included a 50 seat restaurant, a second dining room with 38 seats, and a cocktail lounge that seated 57. They opened their new space the following spring.

One article quoted the owner as saying " It is going to be different. In our Polynesian room, there will be a complete South Island decor, from Polynesian food and drink served in an atmosphere created by water fall and fountains right down to a welcoming parrot we hope to teach to say 'Aloha.' It will be unique inside and out as shown by the pagoda-shaped roof in the architect's drawings."

The second phase of the project included the building of a 30 unit motel with an indoor swimming pool, to be built east of the restaurant after the new dining areas were completed.

I wasn't able to locate any additional information or photos.

Here's an advertisement that i found from the 1973 Dec. Waupaca Post. Will post more as i find more.

that's great keep digging. I have been doing the same each time I drive there to hunt through antique shops.You never know when we might stumble across something else.

It'd be nice to find that ginormous tiki-head sittin atop the Polynesia sign. Hopefully it wasn't landfilled or worse - used as firewood...

Sorry to be digging so deep back, But I am getting close on this one....got some very interesting info today....will keep you posted. Thanks!

Super! Please keep us posted. I myself have continued to dig. I am currently on the trail of swizzle sticks from the Polynesia. We will hopefully see if the seller can find them first and secondly if they really are in fact from the Polynesia. We have all been down that road before.

This is one of the few pieces of info I have recently dug up....the other one should be the most fruitful, info to follow. I thought this was a nice memorable tid bit never the less.

Hi, my Mom used to work there in high school back in the early 70's. She talks about it once in awhile. She says that the inside was totally decked out like you were in Hawaii with beads hanging everywhere. She was a waitress there and she had to where a grass skirt and coconut bra, with a flower lei and some girls wore flowers in their hair. When Mom and Dad got engaged he made her quit because he hated her wearing that outfit. She thinks her boss's name was 'Mr. Ruech'(pronounced 'roosh'). It was located at the corner of Fulton and Hillcrest, where the vendor lot/parking lot is now(next to Hardee's). Mom and Dad used to frequent the restaurant for the atmosphere and dancing, especially during deer hunting season because there never was any fights like at the 'Roost' in King (where Chef Chu's now is.) Dad says his class reunion was held at the Polynesia before it burned down in the 80's. My parents had alot of fun telling me about the past. It brought back alot of good memories. Hope this info helps a little.

Still digging for info.....I scored locally (from a nice lady in Wild Rose) 2 (not exciting in design but another piece of evidence) swizzle sticks for this long forgotten haven in Wisconsin.


I actually got the owner on the phone who bought the Polynesia out of foreclosure in 1973, operated it until it burned and rebuilt calling the new place the Outrigger. The Outrigger was up for sale (discovered in an 7/9/83 Milwaukee Sentinel real estate ad) and closed in 1983. He told me the original owner was "some Italian guy from Chicago" and lost it in foreclosure. He was reluctant to talk (I understand...bad memories I'm sure) but he told me nothing was left....no menus/matches/decor or ANYTHING. Oh well. I will keep looking. BTW, I have also heard about another Polynesian spot that was around the Fox Cities also in the late 60's-early 70's....another challenge. OGR