Reflection of the past: Northeastern Saloon and Grille

By Jamie Lund jlund@pinejournal.com

NAME: Northeastern Saloon and Grille

CURRENT OWNER: Bert Whittington

DATE OPENED: 1885

FOUNDER: Louis McCullough

LOCATION: 115 St. Louis Avenue, Cloquet

Interesting facts:

► Whittington has the original liquor license for the Northeastern; it’s the oldest-known liquor license in the state held by a continuous business.

► The original wood building burned to the ground in 1903 and was rebuilt with brick in less than a year.

► The Northeastern was one of a handful of buildings to survive the 1918 fire, along with a few homes, the Garfield School and the old water tower.

► After the fire, the building served as a hospital, post office and U.S. National Guard headquarters.

► The upstairs has been restored to reflect the style in 1904, but is up to today’s code.

► The rooms are available for rent.

► The saloon still has many original items including a 30-foot bar made from African mahogany.

► The bar has a large public display of Duluth brewery memorabilia, including one-of-a-kind vintage neon signs. Whittington said the collection is among the largest in Minnesota.

► In the early days, the Northeastern housed a saloon, barber shop, dining room and a 20-room hotel upstairs, complete with female companionship, Whittington said. There are now 11 rooms in the upstairs hotel.

Submitted photo

This bedroom is one of 11 left of the original 20 rooms in the Northeastern Saloon and Grille. The original maple floors have been refinished in several of them. Some of the rooms were too small to meet current code, so were combined to make larger rooms. Other rooms were updated to become a sitting area for customers renting rooms. Some modern updates have been added such as air conditioning and television sets.

Submitted photo

A part of Bert Whittington’s collection of vintage neon signs is on display at the Northeastern Saloon and Grille. Some of the signs are one of a kind. Whittington restored tin ceilings to several rooms in the old building.