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The faded photograph in the reel shows a curious structure on Woodward Avenue at 10 Mile Road. A giant concrete teepee rises from a log-sided building labeled “HEDGE’S WIGWAM.” Concrete figures in headdresses stand out front.
This was Hedge’s Wigwam, a Native American–themed cafeteria in Pleasant Ridge, Michigan, operating from 1927 to 1967. Though many postcards place it in Royal Oak, property records show the address as 24362 Woodward Avenue, one block east of the original Saginaw Trail.
From Orange Juice Stand to Roadside Attraction
Owner Roy Hedge started on this corner in 1920 with a simple orange juice stand serving motorists heading north from Detroit. As traffic increased, he added sandwiches and hot meals.
After a trip to northern Michigan, Hedge reportedly saw a themed restaurant and decided to build his own version near 10 Mile. By 1927, the small stand had grown into a full cafeteria under the name Hedge’s Wigwam, open extended hours to catch both commuters and late-night drivers.
Concrete Teepee and “Chiefs” Out Front
The reel’s image, likely from the 1930s or early 1940s, highlights the building’s most striking feature: a towering concrete teepee over the main door. The rest of the structure was finished with log siding to resemble a frontier stockade.
Five concrete statues of Native men, each about 1,800 pounds, stood with folded arms and blankets across their shoulders. They were not based on any particular nation or person. Instead, they offered a generic, romantic image that matched the “Indian” roadside marketing of the era.
Inside the Air-Conditioned Cafeteria
Hedge’s Wigwam advertised itself as a “unique air-conditioned cafeteria” at a time when cool indoor air was a selling point. Diners entered under the teepee and moved along a cafeteria line serving barbecued beef, chicken pot pie, and other comfort foods.
Inside, birchbark columns, stonework, mounted moose heads, and display cases filled with labeled “Indian curios” shaped the mood. Serving staff sometimes wore faux buckskin outfits. Period accounts describe a hostess dressed as a Native “maiden” leading guests to tables, reinforcing popular imagery rather than authentic culture.
A Stop on the Old Saginaw Trail
The site carried a longer travel story. Before cars, this bend in Woodward sat beside the Ridge Road portion of the Saginaw Trail, which linked Detroit with Saginaw. An earlier inn known as Rose’s Tavern stood nearby in the 1800s, offering beds and meals to riders and wagon traffic.
By the mid-20th century, Hedge’s Wigwam filled a similar role for drivers cruising Woodward. Families stopped on the way to the Detroit Zoo, while teenagers met friends before heading farther north.
Closure, Fire and What Remains Today
Plans for Interstate 696 in the 1960s cast doubt on the restaurant’s future. Investment slowed, and Hedge’s Wigwam closed in 1967. A new owner opened the Trading Post gift and antique shop in the building, but in 1972, a fire destroyed the structure. Arson was blamed, though no one was charged.
Parts of the story survive. Several of the concrete statues were auctioned off and still stand in Michigan. One is at Paint Creek Cider Mill in Oakland Township, another appears at the Royal Oak Historical Society Museum, and others are reported at a restaurant in Clarkston and a private yard in Royal Oak.
The old postcard view in this reel is more than a quirky roadside scene. It shows how a busy corner of Pleasant Ridge used stylized Native imagery to sell cafeteria meals to generations of southeast Michigan drivers.
