The Northern Hotel

Once the railroad depot was built in 1906 and fully operational it wasn't long before the area around it developed as well. One of the earliest establishments built to take advantage of the newfound interconnectivity was The Northern Hotel. The establishment was built in 1905 by George Richardson and then sold to Earl Short around 1913. This was one of the first hotels and taverns in Mercer. It was built across the rail from the depot, located at a perfect spot to serve lumberjacks, visitors, tourists and businessmen. The Northern, like many old wooden structures, was eventually destroyed by fire in 1929.

Hospitality has been the Mercer areas leading and longest running industry. Small lumbering towns started forming around railroad stops and depots. Some of these localities disappeared as time progressed, others managed to stick around become the towns and villages we know today. When the railroad opened up the North to industry, it also opened to visitors and tourists. Communities that managed to take advantage of the tourism boom managed to stay on the map better than those that didn't. Hotels and saloons where a big part of this. Investors in lumber companies wanted to visit their operations and see how things were going, tourists wanted places they could comfortably stay, and lumberjacks on leave from the camps wanted places to spend their hard earned pay. Eva Babic was born in The Northern Hotel in 1923 on January 9th. This may seem odd to people with a modern mindset, however back in 1923 The Northern was warm, dry, close to civilization and the necessities mothers with newborns may need.

George Richardson built the Northern Hotel in 1905 to take advantage of the new opportunities for business. The close proximity to the depot gave him access to both patrons and supplies to sell to them. George Richardson later became the Town Chairman of Mercer. He also opened up a tavern located where the former railroad crossed the current Hwy J.

Controversy struck Mercer in 1919, The Northern was being operated by Earl Short. Previously, Short ran other saloons in Hurley. He was rumored to be a rough and violent man which turned out to be the death of him. Having beaten his wife particularly bad, she, Edith Short, went to stay at Joe Carr's property where his wife cared for her. Carr and Short knew each other previously when Carr was employed by Short. By some recollections they seemed friends, or as close to friends as Short had. Accounts differ but all agree that Short went to Carr's with violent intent and was shot dead by Joe Carr. Joe claimed that Earl had attacked Mrs. Carr for helping Edith. Joe Carr was released and not charged regarding the shooting and Edith Short continued to run The Northern for some time.

During prohibition it was common practice for establishments in the Northwoods to simply ignore the law; the Northern was no exception. Finding supply was not a problem, many farmers and people with big properties cashed in on the moonshining craze. Most households had some kind of prohibited intoxicating beverage on hand. Long time and early resident, Mitch Babic remembered being sent by his grandmother to Moonshine Jimmy's place with a jar of horseradish to trade for moonshine. He also recalled snooping around the Regee sheep farm. "I did not see any sheep, but I did find some moonshine barrels. In almost any direction that you went out of town, you could find a moonshine still.".

The Northern Hotel survived the early days of Mercer through the transitional early 1900's, Prohibition and the Great Depression, but the building burned down in 1929. After it burned a neighboring tavern owner physically moved his building to the former location of The Northern Hotel.

Mercer School, Social Science Class 8th Grade Class. Memories of Growing Up In Mercer. Mercer, WI. Mercer School, 1994.

Techtmann, Catherine . Rooted In Resources 1893-1993. Park Falls , Wisconsin. New Past Press Inc., 1993.

Notes written by Mitch Babic, Photographer, on photos.

Ahlgrim, Charles. The Mercer Oxbow 1920-Today. Edition Limited Edition. 1998.

Accessed October 17th, 2023. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/57332448/earl-traford-short.

Typed notes by Mitch Babic found in materials from the Mercer Area Historical Society housed in the Mercer Public Library.

Mercer Town Records, 1912-1950, archived in the Mercer Public Library