Hedge's Wigwam
Coordinates: 42°28′31″N 83°08′43″W / 42.47528°N 83.14528°WHedge's Wigwam was a popular restaurant in Royal Oak, Michigan, from 1927 until 1967. It was located at 24362 Woodward Avenue, one block from the original Saginaw Trail. The restaurant showcased a Native American theme and was known for good food at a good price.
Roy Hedge opened an orange juice stand at Ten Mile and Main Street in 1920. As the business grew, Hedge added food to the menu including barbecued beef sandwiches and chicken pot pies. After a visit to Mackinaw City where he saw a Native American-themed restaurant, Hedge decided to create a similar-styled restaurant, and Hedge's Wigwam opened in 1927.
The exterior of the building featured a giant concrete teepee over the front door, a fort-like log-sided exterior, and five painted concrete Native American statues out front. Each Native American stood with his arms folded and a blanket over his back. They weighed 1,800 pounds (820 kg) each. It appears that the statues were cast from just two different molds. Their positions in front of the restaurant changed over the years as the front of the building was remodeled. The five concrete statues that stood guard in front of the building used to be painted every year in the spring. In the later years they began to be neglected and started to chip away. There is evidence from several postcards that one or two additional statues stood on the roof. It is unknown if they were also made of concrete.
The restaurant was described as "a unique air-conditioned cafeteria serving excellent food in an unusual and pleasing atmosphere." The exotic interior had birchbark columns and picture frames; moss-covered walls; redwood tables with shadowbox tops containing Native American artifacts; cedar chairs; parchment lighting; Native American paintings, ceramic table settings with Hedge's teepee logo; a stone staircase,and a waterfall with a wishing-well, fish pond. Several moose heads were mounted on the walls. It also had a gift shop.
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