Manitowish Waters Historic Pub Crawl

This tour was curated by: Manitowish Waters Historical Society

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Imagine walking into a lakeside restaurant to be greeted by a wolf-whistle or "I'm Joe" from a mynah bird. That is one of many fantastic stories from this fun and historic location. The Rest Haven resort has gone by many names like Rudy’s Rest Haven, Ehrich’s Bavarian Inn, Swanberg’s Bavarian Inn, Parkside Tavern and now Manny's Parkside, which opened in 2022. It is a location where we can still see the “bones” of history, with updates and changes built on top; modern restaurant aesthetics that pay homage to the resorts of the past.The Rest Haven resort has been around, in some form or another, for so long due in part to its geographic location in the region. Located on County Road W off Highway 51 and in the town of Manitowish Waters, this resort has been a destination for vacationers dating back to around 1925. The original resort in this location came around 1925-1926 under the ownership of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Shroeder. The resort was aptly named Schroeder’s Resthaven and was located roughly in the area that is Manny's Parkside and Koller Park now.

2. Pea Patch Motel and Saloon

Whether you are on a pub crawl, hike, kayak/canoe trip, on a snowmobile, a bicycle or, of course, driving, be sure to stop in and enjoy, "the best drink by a dam site."In the early 1920s, the Win-Mar opened under the ownership of Marie Zimmerman and Winifred (Winnie) Johnson Young. The business started out as a supply post building, measuring 8’ by 8’ and made of canvas and birch poles used to support the canvas roof. Over the years, Win-Mar expanded into a resort with cottages, a restaurant with a dining hall, a gas station, a grocery supply, and a boat livery. It began as a lake side/roadside stand and evolved into a full-service resort. They were known for their great food and hospitality. They advertised their hamburgers as one of their best specialties.On April 27, 1961, Charley and Inez Pea came to Manitowish Waters from California and purchased the resort. Today, the Pea Patch is an outstanding business with great hospitality, quality food, and owners who contribute so much to the community. Throughout the years, current owners Barry and Lisa (LaPorte) Hopkins have created wonderful activities at the bar as well as in the community. Music in the Park was established by Lisa and Barry, becoming one of the most popular Sunday activities in Manitowish Waters and the surrounding area as people travel from neighboring towns to attend.

3. Mississippi River Logging Camp and Rest Lake Dam

The most defining feature in the community of Manitowish Waters is the Rest Lake Dam. Discover the origins of the Rest Lake Dam and the large river drive lumber camp that was located at the inlet to Vance (formerly Dam) Lake. In 1902, the sprawling lumber camp was the site of the largest river drive ever conducted on the Chippewa River. Imagine 150 "River Pigs," drinking to celebrate this historic event before ushering millions of board feet of logs to Chippewa Falls. From the Army Corps of Engineers' surveys of 1878 until today, the location and operation of the dam has been debated. For over 130 years, dams between Vance Lake and Rest Lake have created one of the finest Northwoods impoundments for both early logging and long-term recreation.

4. Manitowish Waters Fish Hatchery

Discover how the first municipal fish hatchery in Wisconsin helped Manitowish Waters survive the economic collapse after the stock market crash of 1929.During the Great Depression, the Wisconsin Conservation Commission was short on cash to stock area lakes. Manitowish Waters stepped up, raising $1000 to construct a fantastic fish hatchery just below Rest Lake Dam. Tourism was the lifeblood of the local economy, and back in the 1930s, fishing was the big attraction. The Manitowish Waters hatchery's success inspired other municipalities like Mercer to follow our model. The hatchery operated into the late 1940s or early 1950s before it closed. Today, the conservation group Walleyes For Tomorrow conducts similar operations and helps stock Northwoods' lakes.

5. Barr Fish Lock or Fishway

In 1931, local inventor Harry Barr created a new kind of fish "ladder" to help preserve Northwoods' fisheries. Barr called his device the Barr Fish Lock, or Fishway. Barr received permission from the Public Service Commission to install one of his inventions directly below the Rest Lake Dam. The next spring fish were lifted from the fast waters on Vance Lake below the dam, through the fishway, and into Rest Lake. In 1931-1932, the Wisconsin Conservation Commission did daily counts of spring fish that moved through the fish lock. Soon after, the data was tabulated. The Wisconsin Conservation Commission declared Barr's invention a success, and the Barr Lock operated into the late 1940s before closing.

6. Aurora Borealis Restaurant

Starting in 1931, the Northern Lights Resort succeeded in spite of the Great Depression. The beautiful views of Rest Lake were complemented by the sound of rushing water over Rest Lake Dam. The sprawling shore north of the dam also included a bar across the road.After the Northern Lights closed around 1958, the property was lent and later leased to the Skiing Skeeters water ski show starting in 1962. The Skiing Skeeters performed on the grounds of the old Northern Lights until the property sold in 1988. Condos and lakeshore development now occupy the resort's footprint.The bar across the street soon became a restaurant and a series of owners have offered amazing food to locals and visitors. The current restaurant pays tribute to the Northern Lights legacy with the name Aurora Borealis, delivering fantastic food accompanied by the rhythmic sound of pounding water crashing at the base of Rest Lake Dam.

7. Angler's Fine Food and Spirits

Business has flourished in this location since 1927 when Frank Laundrie, a former Vilas County Sheriff, built a filling station and refreshment stand at the busy intersection of what was then U.S. Highway 51 and County Trunk W. it was called the Tower Inn as it stood in the shadow of a 55-foot fire tower owned and operated by the Wisconsin Conservation Commission.In May 1928, the first local post office was located within Tower Inn. The property changed hands several times with new owners always expanding and improving service offerings to keep up with growing tourism demands. The Zermuehlens, Garbers and Jastrops were each subsequent owners of The Tower Tea Room, Tower Bar and Resort, and The Tower. Later businesses existed with the names of The Fireplace Inn and Angler's Fine Food and Spirits. Today, that intersection is now County W and Tower Road, and Anglers is still an anchor of downtown Manitowish Waters commerce. Sadly, the fire tower no longer exists.

8. Rest Lake Ranger Station

The Rest Lake Ranger Cabin and Fire Tower were one of the four original outposts created by the Wisconsin Department of Forestry in 1912 to stop the vicious forest fires that plagued the Northwoods.Like spokes in a wheel extending from the Trout Lake Headquarters, new ranger stations could spot fires from 55-foot towers and report back to Trout Lake on new phone lines where Trout Lake rangers triangulated a fire’s location and coordinated fire responses. Rangers also utilized specialized firefighting tools and portable phones cached throughout the forest reserve to resupply and get fire updates from Trout Lake. Ranger stations also had bunk houses to maintain a corps of men for fire suppression, fire watch and building telephone lines, roads and fire lanes. Remote patrol cabins and auxiliary fire watch towers were later built to improve coverage and response time during fire season. Over time, new ranger facilities improved forestry employees’ response to critical needs within the forest reserve.

9. Powell's Fern Lodge

Imagine operating a lakefront Northwoods resort on the Manitowish chain for $25 a year! Using the Wisconsin Conservation Commission's state lease program, Ethel Powell did just that for 28 years.While riding on our amazing bike trail or exploring along the Manitowish River hiking trail, be sure to take the time to discover Powell's Fern Lodge. Today, the site of Fern Lodge is a DNR campsite that overlooks Vance Lake with a nice view of Angler's Fine Food and Spirits and Dixie's Coffee House. The camp site is at the end of a spur trail, which is part of the North Lakeland Discovery Center's Manitowish River loop trail. For best results, use the AllTrails link below to navigate the bike and hiking trails. The beautiful river and lake views along the trail illustrate why Fern Lodge was a special Northwoods destination.

10. Ye Olde Shillelagh

Scattered area resorts, a CCC camp nearby, and the original route of Highway 51 from the Manitowish train depot to the Manitowish Waters chain of lakes makes this a perfect location for a tavern and a small motel. Built in the 1930s by Neal LaPorte, this tavern has been known by several names--Veterans Inn, Pine Air Inn, Koehler’s Lounge and Motel, Ernst’s Supper Club, Trails End, and now Ye Olde Shillelagh.Friday night fish fries have been a staple here for many years, but a major attraction is stopping in to view the deer through the large back windows. Visitors always hope to see an albino. Don’t miss the link chain made from bottle caps that has been decorating the tavern since the 1950s!

This Tour is a Walking Tour.

Manitowish Waters Historic Pub Crawl

Created by Jim Bokern on June 1st 2022, 8:42:11 pm.

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Description

Learn about MW history and visit some of our social establishments as you hike at a leisurely pace on area trails. Trail destination include geological features, logging areas, early resorts, taverns, fishery projects, Rest Lake Ranger station and more. Stop into several local establishments for refreshments and learn amazing stories about Manitowish Waters' past. The route is 4.5 miles and mostly along existing trails. Check out the AllTrails map for a figure 8 tour using the bike trail and hiking trails. https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/pub-crawl-beta-test-b06f50d

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Manitowish Waters Historic Pub Crawl

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