1969 Maumee Valley Tourist Ads – Part 2

I mentioned in yesterday’s post how General “Mad” Anthony Wayne was a celebrated figure in the history of the Maumee Valley, thanks to his victory over the confederation of Indians at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. So it’s not too surprising to see an ad with his name attached to a restaurant: Anthony Wayne Drive-in.

The place had quite a menu including, appropriately enough, a “Big Chief” Hamburger.

Trying to find out if the drive-in was still around wasn’t easy. The only address in the 1969 ad was “On Route 424 East, Napoleon, Ohio.”

Fortunately, the restaurant hung on to its phone number for many years, which enabled me to cross reference ads and determine that within a few years, Anthony Wayne Drive-in became Anthony Wayne Supper Club.

Howard and Irene Gable of Napoleon, Ohio were the owners and operators for more than 30 years.

Here’s a Defiance Crescent News ad from August 20, 1971.

By the end of the 1970s, a disco was added – also bearing Anthony Wayne’s name.

June 19, 1979 ad from the Defiance Crescent News

It appears that by 1981, Butch’s Lounge was the new name of the disco at the Supper Club.

The Anthony Wayne Supper Club “soldiered on" through the 1980s and 1990s, serving as a popular choice for wedding receptions, as well as a place for groups like the Napoleon Lions Club to meet. But eventually, the Supper Club closed and was sold. 

So is the building still there? And what is it being used for now?

I “drove” up and down the highway in that area via Google Maps, trying to identify the building using the tiny illustration from the 1969 ad. 

I had a hunch, but had to know for sure. So I contacted the Napoleon Public Library to find out. 

Luckily for me, I received a friendly reply from Jenelle McCarthy, Head of the Adult Department. She wrote, "If I remember correctly, the building still stands, and is now a Mexican restaurant called Azul Tequila with the address being 601 E Riverview Ave, Napoleon, OH 43545. 

"The building was Anthony Wayne Restaurant until the late 1990's/early 2000's and served at least brunch. I remember having really good Belgium waffles there as a kid before it was closed down and sold. 

"In the old phonebooks, it is listed as a restaurant through the 70's. The old address was just 424 State Route East, but now houses and businesses in that direction have East Riverview Ave addresses. The building has recently been renovated to better match the current restaurant. I hope this helps.”

It certainly did, and I thanked Jenelle for solving my problem and saving me from having to take a road trip. Here’s the building as it looks today as the home of Azul Tequila.

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Speaking of General Anthony Wayne, did you know that he was featured in a plot line in Cartoonist Milton Caniff's famous Steve Canyon comic strip? 

In a dream sequence in the strip that ran in the summer of 1979, shortly after the death of John Wayne, Caniff featured a caricature of the actor as the famous Indian-fighting General as a unique tribute.

This strip revealed the iconic actor and the fun that was in store for Steve Canyon readers.

Here are some more strips from that story. It also features a cameo of Steve’s sidekick Happy Easter (here renamed Gloomy Christmas).