Bank Saloon
Mr. A. Clavin of Little Falls, bought the Ed. Boyd lot on Third street and is putting up a building for a first class saloon. He is one ahead of Woodward, who is expected here next week. (Feb 3, 1898)
Clavin & Tanner purchased Lot 10, Blk 15, Orig townsite on 7/9/1899 for $300 from the Bemidji Townsite Co. This might be the Bank Saloon, April 19, 1900.
The Bank Saloon was located at 212 Third Street and in the 1930’s was the site of the Larson Shoe Store. It is now a parking lot.
Henry Partridge and P. J. Murtaugh. two employees of the Bank saloon left this morning for Park Rapids, where they will visit with friends for a short time. (Sept 13, 1904)
Alex McGinnis, a bartender employed at the Bank saloon, was found dead in his room at the Tremont hotel Saturday night about 11:30 o’clock. Upon the commode by his bedside stood a bottle of beer, half drank, and a small vial containing a few grains of strychnine sulphate, and from all appearances the man is a victim of suicide.
He was found by Thomas Nelson, his room mate, who intended to retire for the night. Nelson went upstairs and when he entered the room saw McGinnis lying upon the bed, face up, with all his clothes on excepting his shoes, which were lying by the bedside. Nelson did not think for the moment that anything was wrong, and attempted to wake the man, but was horrified to find that the man was dead.
He immediately told the proprietor of the house, who telephoned for City Health Officer Ward and Deputy Coroner Lahr, who arrived in a few minutes and made an examination of the man and the room, after which the remains were taken to the morgue, where they will await burial.
McGinnis arrived in the city about three weeks ago, and it is thought that he came here in quest of his wife, from whom he was divorced six years ago. He found the woman, Mrs. Delia McGinnis, who was staying with a family in this city, but after the first meeting she left for Duluth, and has been staying in that city since the meeting.
He went to work as bartender at the Bank saloon two weeks ago yesterday and has been employed there ever since. On Saturday night he came into the saloon and secured $1 in money, and from there went to another saloon, where he bought a round of drinks, afterwards purchasing a bottle of beer. He left there at 11 o’clock, and it is thought that he went directly to his room and took the poison, as the body was warm when found, and it was evident that he had been dead only a few minutes. The pillows showed marks of where he had clutched them in the final convulsions before death.
Nelson, the roommate of the dead man, says that McGinnis has contemplated ending his life for some time past, as on Friday night as they were both lying in the bed together, McGinnis told him that he intended to end his existence, as he wished to get away from his troubles. This was verified this morning when an examination of the man’s valise was made, a bottle of laudanum being found in the bottom of it.
Mrs. McGinnis has been notified of the death of McGinnis, and two brothers who are now in the west will be located as soon as possible and given notice of the affair. These are the only known relatives of the dead man. (Feb 6, 1905)
Brothers Meet Again at Bank Saloon
The meeting of two brothers who had been separated for 14 years, during which time neither had heard anything from or about the other, occurred this morning at the Bank saloon, when Oscar Berg, aged 32, and John Berg, aged 30, met, recognized each other and talked over boyhood days in far off Sweden.
The meeting was brought about in a peculiar manner. One of the brothers, Oscar, has been a lumber-camp employee in this vicinity for a number of years past and has acquaintances in this city. He arrived in Bemidji last night and spent the evening in visiting with his friends here. This morning the other brother, who resembles Oscar to a great extent, happened into the Bank saloon, where Oscar had spent a portion of the previous evening, and one of the employees of the saloon accosted him with “Good morning. Oscar.” Berg, who had never before been in the refreshment parlor, was dumbfounded at being called by his brother’s name, and upon questioning the saloon employee he learned that an Oscar Berg was in the city.
The latter was soon brought to the saloon, where each of the brothers recognized the other. Neither of the men have families and have for the past 11 to 14 years traveled over the entire United States. Oscar left his home in Sweden in 1891 and John in 1894. (Dec 14, 1905)
Bank Saloon suffered damage to its stock in the Naylor fire on June 21, 1906. The fire totally gutted the Naylor Furniture Company and damaged the rear of the Turf Saloon, but through some dedicated work by the firemen, they saved the wooden buildings. It had rained for the previous two weeks so that helped also because the wood in the buildings on Third Street was not so dry.
Bank Saloon was still operating in 1911. It was mentioned in the evidence against Dumas and Smyth in the Dumas Case in 1911, such as “Meet me in front of the Bank Saloon.”