Fredonia, WI – “Years ago when it got late at night and everybody got wild, we would sit in the barber chair, and you put your head back and you would pour booze down your throat. They were just happy,” said Tom Schwai as the barber chair piece of history from Cedar Creek is now for sale.
The old barber chair features an ashtray carved into the right arm rest.
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Tom said it was one of the many special attractions at Schwai’s in Cedar Creek during the 1970s and 1980s.
“That was a good old time you know,” he said.
The best he can recollect, the chair came from someone his dad knew. “Somebody gave it to him and we just kept it,” he said. “Somebody wants to buy it they can buy it do shots at their own house.”
The old brown chair has seen better days. There are some rips in the fabric and a little rust on the mechanics.
Some other recollections from the old Schwai’s Tavern. “I was 16 years old, and it was the first time I got drunk,” said Tommy. “Bruce Weninger came home from the service, and he kept buying old fashioneds and I kept drinking them. Yup…. it was a rough day at school the next day.”
Tommy remembers the dancing at the old Schwai’s in Cedar Creek; currently Bibingers. “The floor would bounce there would be so many people dancing,” said Tom. “You couldn’t fall over if you wanted to we were packed so tight with people.”
“We had some really good parties, went through a lot of half barrels and gave a lot of money to Threshold,” he said.
“Marvin Stuffel came down and I think it was one of their pigs we dyed green. For every pitcher of beer we sold we gave $1 to Threshold and we served 500 pounds of corned beef that day. Cookin’ it in kettles.”
“You had every Tom, Dick and Harry out there. You had Tom Rolfs and all the Zieglers, you had Chuck Hense come and get drunk, you had Bernie and Brad Benz; a lot of people, a lot of regulars.”
“The Tiddlywinks was my ma’s thing. My dad didn’t want to, and he was mad but when he found out how much money she made he wanted to do another one right away.”
“Many a drunks went out of there. They were drinking Lithia and Old Timers…. that was some good stuff. We had ham sandwiches and brats. It was a long day but it sure was fun!”
Schwai’s in Fredonia will be taking a pass on serving corned beef and cabbage this year as St. Patrick’s Day is on a Sunday. But be sure and put in your order soon for Easter ham.
