WAUPACA COUNTY NEWS

August 21, 1923

What the Waupaca Tourist Camp Site Means to This City

            The policy of The News always has been, and always will be, to build up rather than to tear down. This policy is what brings forth this article.

            During the past month much criticism has been heard in regard to the Tourist Free Camp Site in Waupaca, and some have even gone so far as to advocate doing away with the camp site entirely, while others are asking that an admission fee be charged campers who make use of the site.

            The News wants to know what the idea is?  It took a large amount of labor and time by men who are interested in the best interests of established in this city, and to the Waupaca to get a free camp site businessmen of Waupaca it has been one of the greatest assets the city has had during the summer months.  Tourists using the camp site (and they are by no means representative of great wealth; but rather desirable people who take short vacations each year) drive miles out of their way to camp at the Waupaca camp site, because of its beauty and the facilities it offers.

            Waupaca in addition to being a farming community, is primarily a tourist and resort city.  Almost every visitor leaves some money behind.  Mr. Doerfler of the Star Bakery tells The News that his tourist and resort trade will run over $1,000 during the summer months, and that over one third of it comes from tourists who use our free camp site.  Last week one store in the city sold a $72.00 fishing outfit to a man, who was headed north on a fishing trip and who had stopped at the local camp site over night.  The News knows of many other instances, where visitors at the camp site have been heavy spenders while in the city, and it is our belief that the average amount of money spent by every party that stops at the camp will run over $10.00.

            The Waupaca Free Camp Site has advertised this city for hundreds of miles.  Last summer a local businessman made an auto trip through the western states to the coast with his family.  While on the trip he spent his nights in tourist camps, and says he never enjoyed himself so greatly in his life.  This man did not make use of the camp sites to save expense, as he is well able to live as he prefers, and there was not a place he visited that he did not spend some money.  He says that he met the best class of tourists at the camp sites.  When in the state of South Dakota he states another tourist who had noted the name “Waupaca” on his car came up and introduced himself saying “I want to meet you because you’re from that town in Wisconsin where they have that wonderful camp site.”

            Why kill the camp site?  Are not the businessmen who profit directly from it taxpayers; and does not money spent in Waupaca benefit all?  Every businessman we have talked to is absolutely in favor of the camp site.  The matter was up before the council at its last meeting, and will be brought up again at a future meeting.

            Some businessmen are in favor of a charge of about 50¢ a car a night, but believe that it this charge is made, more accommodations, such as telephone, better cooking facilities, ground rules, etc., should be given tourists.  A charge of this kind would cover all the added improvements, and would give the tourist value for the charge made, at the same time making the camp self-supporting.

            Let all businessmen express their views ot the members of the city administration, and a p[lan will no doubt be worked out, whereby the camp site can be improved, and undesirable practices and people done away with.