One of the better-known Lumberjack Queens, who operated out of the Great Northern Restaurant in Bemidji, was “Dutch Mary.” She was not Dutch but had at one time been married to “Dutch Slough,” a well known gambler. At first they called her “Dutch’s Mary’ and later “Dutch Mary.” She was actually Finnish. When the police came to arrest her and take her to the town hall every two weeks, she would start drinking the morning she was to pay her fine, and by the time the police came after her, she would be very drunk. They would take her by the arms and march her about two blocks to the City Hall. If it was a nice day in spring, all the lumberjacks would line up to see her march up the street. She would wave her arms and sing and just before she entered the City Hall, she would reach down and pull up her skirts and walk in with her bare rear showing. She said she wanted to give the boys a good show.
In 1918, when there was a push in Bemidji for all able men to “work or fight” during WWI, Bemidji Chief of Police Essler paid a visit to the OK restaurant, of which “Dutch Mary” was the proprietor and informed her in no uncertain terms that hereafter men would be forbidden to loiter in her place. The chief said the place was a hangout of idlers and was a nuisance and loafing there had to be stopped. (Oct 23, 1918)
Peter, himself, registered for the draft in September 1918. On his registration, he noted that he lived at the corner of 2nd and Beltrami, but he reported his occupation as working as a woodsman for Frank Gagnon, also known as a former saloon owner and operator of a soft drink dispensary in 1918. Peter signed his name as Peter Billeadou.
As part of a search for illegal bootleggers, Deputy Sheriff Cahill served another warrant and called for the arrest of Peter Billideau, and his wife, known as Mary Thompson, (Dutch Mary) who conducted the O. K. restaurant, charged with illegal sale of liquor. (Feb 19, 1919)
There was a disruption in the domestic affairs of the O.K. Restaurant on South Beltrami avenue a week later between Peter Billideau and “Dutch Mary'” Thompson, who jointly were in charge of the establishment, and the result was that Peter appeared in the municipal court the next morning looking as if he had attempted to stop the bullets from a Hun machine gun, while Mary appeared to have attempted to cross a barbed wire entanglement. For some reason, a cloud obscured the sunshine of the habitat, as it was admitted to have done on previous occasions, and the armistice was declared off. Peter proceeded to handle his fair partner in anything but a gentlemanly manner and her facial anatomy was serious disfigured, while his countenance somewhat resembled a sketch of a trench defense. He was found guilty of assault and fined $100 or 90 days in the county jail, and not having the necessary amount of change with him went to where there are plenty of bars and only water served. (Feb 28, 1919)
Peter Billadeau admitted at the fall term of court that he sold booze in “Dutch Mary’s” place for which the judge thought he should spend 60 days in jail, pay a $100 fine, and also the costs of $101. (Sept 29, 1919)
Mary Thompson, however, was taken ill and made a long stay in the hospital and could not be present at the fall term of court in 1919. She appeared at the spring term of district court in February 1920. She pleaded guilty to having sold liquor in her former restaurant the year before. She was fined $50 and given 30 days in the county jail, failure to pay the fine entailing a continuance of 30 days more.
On July 6, 1921, she again appeared in Municipal Court against Peter Billideau charging him with assault. Billideau was held to be guilty and was given 60 days in jail.
When the International Lumber Company started their large logging operation near Craig in 1921, she was one of the ladies who made their last stand in tarpaper shacks. She burned up in Craig when her shack caught on fire, which ended the life of one of the most colorful ladies of the trade. (Info taken from J.C. Ryan, the Lumberjack Queens, pp. 15-16, and newspaper reports in the Bemidji Daily Pioneer).
Mary was born at Garsky, N.D., the daughter of John Reining. Died as a result of suffocation when she was caught in a fire at her home at Craigville. Widow of Harry Thompson. Dutch Mary’s daughter, Louise Billedeau was a resident of 402 ½ Minnesota Ave. at the time of her mother’s death at Craigville on Sept 7, 1936. Mary had lived at Craigville for ten years. She was buried at International Falls, Mn. (Minnesota Death Certificate 1936-05766)