Rita Anderson worked at Deer Park Lodge on Spider Lake as a summer employee from 1956-1960. At the time of her employment, Ben and Ruth Epstein were the owners.
Rita's very first job at Deer Park was cleaning cabins. She did that for two weeks before moving to a more enjoyable job as a lobby girl. Lobby girl duties included cleaning the lobby, bathrooms, bar room, and cocktail lounge.
Another job that Rita had was play school manager. Taking care of the kids was fun work. The children ate before the other guests so they had the dining room to themselves, giving the parents time to enjoy their lunches and dinners. After lunch, Rita had all afternoon off. At 5pm she returned to help the kids with dinner and stayed with them until 7pm.
In the evening, staff members had the option of babysitting if parents wanted to go out. The adults enjoyed going to a traveling orchestra. This orchestra visited one other resort, and a professional dancing couple gave dance lessons to the guests and put on an evening performance.
Rita also had a waitress job at Deer Park Lodge. Her wage was $60/month, plus room, board and tips. Waitresses would have the same families/tables to wait on each day for however long the family stayed. Each waitress had six tables and a bus boy was shared with another waitress. The kitchen staff had off every other Sunday afternoon.
Rita enjoyed working with the kitchen help. The main workers in the kitchen were the chef, first cook, fry cook and salad man. Rita remembers the salad man, John Now. He was very talented and would sculpt ice and food for the lodge's guests. But he was also sort of a mystery man - he never left the lodge.
Another worker Rita remembers as a mystery was the laundry man. Rumor had it that he had served time in Alcatraz, and he was a bit strange!
Rita really enjoyed the group she worked with, and many of them returned each summer. The kids could go to the rec hall for entertainment, and Mr. Epstein also gave them a lodge car o Sundays to go to church.
The girls/women lived in the upstairs of a large building on the property. It had one big room plus a separate bathroom with shower. The boys/men occupied the downstairs, where there were separate rooms.
Ben Epstein was a good boss. He was also very watchful of the lodge. At night he slept in a screened-in porch near the road so he could hear anyone coming or going. Before the lodge opened for the summer, Ben would open up for conventions, such as A.O. Smith and a doctors' group, to name two. Most of his guests were Jewish. Ben and Ruth Epstein had three children: two boys, Frank and Steve, and one girl, Marilyn. Rita, Frank and another friend, Susie, would go water skiing together on some afternoons. The five years at Deer Park Lodge were fun and memorable for Rita.
I worked two summers as a waiter at Deer Park - during my time the guys quarters were upstairs and the girls down
ReplyDeleteI GOT MY ARM STUCK IN A POOL TABLE IN THE GAME ROOM AND ALL THE MEN AT THE BAR CAME OVER TO LAUGH. THEY HAD TO DISASSEMBLE THE ENTIRE TABLE. BEN CHARGED MY FATHER FOR THE EXPENSE. SO MUCH FOR TRYING TO CHEAT BEN.
ReplyDelete1963 I first came to Deer Park. 1965 Warren let me drive the golf cart. 1967 Steve found skeletal remains while excavating just outside between the office and the dining hall.1967 Tommy Lane taught me how to water ski and what constitutes a bad toupee. 1967 I fell in love for the first time.
ReplyDelete1968 I got my arm caught in the pool table.
Great memories! Thank you for sharing, Anon.
ReplyDeletei worked at deer park in 1977 and 1980. i worked in the office with ben and estelle. i often think of them and how different the place looks now. i fell in love with the area and was lucky enough to move up here 6 years ago with my husband of 34yrs who also loves the area.
ReplyDeleteI also worked the summer of 77. My first time west of Ohio from DC and will never forget the beauty. Saw my first shooting star ever while lying out by the lake with a girl who was a guest. Was a waiter. Madness each time dinner hour arrived. Make the maitre d. Bo jack cook. Will never forget the tornado in August.
DeleteI went there with my family when I was young.
DeleteWe went many years! Always had the big table in the corner bay window. My grandparents took the whole family.
The Falkenhayn family
Dee
DeleteI had the Corvair that I used to take you to near by resorts so you could entertain.
Phil Billings
I recall this event with the pool table, but not who it happened to! Tommy Lane and I did many a duet in our nightly "Broadway Revues", as we entertained all the guests. I was there performing in the summers of 1965, 66 and finally 67 - the summer I graduated from Hidh School and went on with life...Steve and I were close and Ruth was always kind to me and the rest of the musical troup each summer. Wonderful memories - Dee Archer
ReplyDeleteI was there in 65 and 66. Your shows were the highlight of those summers. Remember the girl in your troupe who fell in love with Warren and ultimately walked around with full pantomime makeup on for many days towards the end of the summer? I think they had her taken to a hospital in an ambulance.
DeleteSorry she wasn’t in the troupe. She lived with us in the girls bunk house.
DeletePhil Billings
DeleteI worked there in 67.
I had the Corvair.
I have the best memories of my 8 years as bell hop. Steve and I are still friends. Went back a year ago and the place is all changed....some tears. ...nothing ever stays the same Warren
ReplyDeletedoes anyone know whatever happened to Estelle?
ReplyDeleteI wish I knew..I try to do a search every now and then but come up with nothing...
DeleteSpent 2 unforgettable summers at DPL,'65-'67, in lake cabin. Water skiing, swimming pool, nighttime performances in the club house, excellent food...for kids and adults. Good times.. :-)
ReplyDeletePhil Billings
DeleteDid you work there or guest?
I worked at Deer Park Lodge in 19 66 and 1968. I fell in love with the Northwoods from that experience and although I lived in New York City I eventually came back to Northern Wisconsin to live amongst this beautiful place. I did not like Ben Epstein. He did not treat the girls that worked for the rezort very well. Everybody knows he divorced his wife and married his secretary. But at the same time if you were somewhat different and might be involved in some kind of relationship in the resort he was very critical. I remember one night outside of the indoor reception room I walked outside the side door and there was a skunk sitting there and he was so sweet so very sweet he wouldn't have spray life depended on it. To hear the sound of the loons in the Northwoods I think changes something in you. Almost like the sound is sacred. I eventually moved from New York to Northeastern Wisconsin because of those memories. I lost my heart here.
ReplyDeleteI did not know Ben divorced. I actually spent most of my time with Mrs Epstein whose hair I cut and styled. I was just a kid who did my own hair and she liked it Then she recommended me to customers 🤨 who didn’t pay me. I still had to clean all of the cabins on my list so I was doing hair for free on my own time. I didn’t think Mrs Epstein was very nice.
DeleteWhat did you expect about the Epsteins? When I worked there in summers of 65' thru 67', both of them treated me like dirt and I worked my tail end off for them. Both of them were typical Jews....they didn't know how to treat good people with kindness.
DeleteBen Epstein was my uncle married to my Aunt Stel. I spent a lot of time at deer park lodge as a young boy. I remember spending time with the grounds care taker, fishing with my dad and uncle. I think I was about 6 years old Stel and Ben sold and auctioned everything off. Being well over 30 years ago I still remember a lot of my time there. My dad and I had made the trip from our hometown of Beloit to help them wrap things up. I know Ben as my uncle and he was the kindest man.
ReplyDeleteWhat ever happened to Stel??
DeleteHate to rain on your parade Matt Wam, but your Uncle Ben was a jerk.
DeleteI worked at Sears in Ironwood and sold Ben a gas-powered sweeper to clean pine needles off the walkways at his resort.
ReplyDeleteThe machine did not pick up a single pine needle and Ben brought the machine back for a refund.
First rule of sales: Do not over promise !
He was a force to deal with for a part time kid in Ironwooud.
Ben was a horses petute.
DeleteI worked at Deer Park Lodge in the office for 2 years 1987-1988 and loved every minute of it. Stel and Ben were so good to me and learned so much from them. I used to watch Mr E, as we called him order food each week. Time of my life for sure.
ReplyDeleteI worked there in the Summer of 1988. Mille was my supervisor.
DeleteI remember you Matt. Stel and Ben were the best!
ReplyDeleteI miss that place so much. Spent a good portion of my childhood and into my teens spending 1 to 2 week vacations up there every year. There are no places like Deer Park Lodge left.. sad. Every time I think about my Dad, Deer Park Lodge is always a part of it. Met so many great people there!!
ReplyDeleteMy family vacationed there for a few summers in the mid-60's. Does anyone remember a young guy called Jimmy? He taught water skiing, handled the speed boats and the pool. Anyone remember??
ReplyDeleteI worked there in 1967. As a waiter I made a very nice income. The summer went very fast. The only negative thing was the boys dorm. It was an old ice house. The living area was below ground level. At least a dozen boys stayed there.
ReplyDeleteMr. Epstein was a very good person. One night a family of four were set at my area. The mother was very demanding. She got so out of control, Mr Epstein asked them to leave.He lost money on the reservation, but certainly got my respect.
Phil Billings
DeleteIs the resort closed? We stayed for our first anniversary in 1984
ReplyDeleteThe resort is called something else now. It's too bad, because I liked the name "Deer Park Lodge." I remember driving from Madison to the Northwoods and the signs along Hwy 51 advertising Deer Park Lodge and how many miles to the lodge.
DeleteI worked there in 1977 as the cocktail waitress. I remember the entertainment was a magician named, I believe it was Divad (play on David). Worked all summer. At the end, Ben told me I had zero paycheck coming. Had to borrow money to get a bus ticket home. Area was beautiful but Ben was an ass!
ReplyDeleteThe Great Divad! You bet. i saw his show many times. I worked in the laundry... on the mangle. As employees, we sat in an area "beside" the stage... and thus... we got to see how some of the tricks were done. Fun stuff.... but work was hard, and I eventually left to work at the marina not far away.
ReplyDeleteI worked at Deer Park Lodge as an hospitality management intern when I was 21 the summer of 1977 as "an assistant to the manager" although my duties were hardly managerial! My shift was from 3pm until 6am (15 hrs) 7 days a week. Most every night, Epstein would appear at some point, often drunk, and verbally berate me. I put up with this for 7 weeks until three other employees and I left in the dark of night. I've never had a worse job or employer in my entire life. The place was an absolute dump as I recalled, musty/mold cabins, horrible food and all kinds of sordid activities going on after hours. Remarkably, I did receive my final pay check!
ReplyDeleteI worked at Deer Park Lode right after I graduated from h.s. in 1988. I worked in the laundry and actually have lots of memories of the place. There were several fond memories in particular or several other employees. One I am in contact with.
ReplyDelete