What was there to do for fun in a small pioneer town at the turn of the century? The most popular, and probably rowdiest spot in Fort George for a few years was the Northern Hotel. It was opened in 1910 by Al Johnson, and became a symbol of this region’s booming economy.
Located on the corner of 3rd and Hamilton, it opened to a "numerous and thirsty throng, who long [had] lived lives of enforced abstemiousness" (Ft. George Herald).
At 90 feet in length with 14 bartenders on per shift it was called the "World's Longest Bar." There was only standing room. Men packed into the bar 10 deep from the counter and men in the front lines passed glasses of rye whiskey to the men at the back. This continued until the men near the front had enough or couldn't stand any longer, and the next group pushed forward. Whisky cost $0.25 a glass, but no matter how large a bill you sent forward, no change was ever received, as it would pass through 100 hands before reaching the bar.
Over $7,000 was spent on alcohol per night. There were few fights: if a man became too drunk, he was shipped to the "snake" room, where they could sleep until they "would become paying customers again" (PG Progress Weekend Edition).
Whiskey was brought in from Tete Jaune by river scows in kegs, and bottled in the hotel basement. Quite a bit of smuggling occurred, as men were not allowed to have alcohol in the work camps. A popular method was to hide bottles in pig carcasses, as shown in photographs below.
Johnson retired the hotel in 1915 because of dwindling business, a result of the First World War, which drained the men from this area in 1914.
