Cheers to Minnesota
Well technically this title should read, “Minnesota to Cheers” because that’s what happened when this infamous little Minnesota bar was featured in the opening credits on one of the most popular tv shows ever which was also based on a small bar in Boston.
So if you haven’t guessed it yet, that tv show was Cheers, which aired on NBC from 1982-1993 and was/is one of my favorite tv shows from the 1980’s.
I actually visited Cheers in Boston twice once in 1992 (not of drinking age) and again in 2015 (being of drinking age). The second visit was of course the more enjoyable one because I could actually have a beer there this time.
So in a Cliff Clavin voice “It’s a little known fact that there’s a saloon in Northern Minnesota which was featured in the opening credits for this here very bar’s tv show”.
I’m sure Carla would reply with “So why don’t you go there then”
The pictures were taken at a bar which was referred to as “Peggy’s of Craig” in Craigville Minnesota, a small lumberjack town in northern Minnesota, (which actually had a reputation of being pretty seedy) sometime in 1937.
And if you are wondering just where this mythical unincorporated town of Craigville was located, it’s about an hour and 15 minutes northwest of Hibbing.
A shot of the bar itself, as you can see they even had a stylish Fitger’s sign out front! Rumor has it that this place also doubled as a barber shop, nothing like getting a haircut and a beer at the same time…..well maybe I’d wait til after so no clippings fall in to the beer.
If you look closely, there has been some photoshopping done with the original picture, (removing the man’s hand with a cigarette off of the women’s shoulder). Also the Prince Albert ad above the door didn’t make it into the tv intro either.
The famous photo was taken by Russell Lee for the U.S. Farm Security Administration. And since we are here, I’m also adding a couple of the other shots that were taken inside to show off the regulars.
Photos - US Library of Congress, Shorpy, CBS, NBC
PS I actually posted these pictures and info on my instagram account back in August of 2020 and never made an official post here, so here it is.
PPS ….If you are not following my instagram account you are missing out on some great stuff that is not posted to this actual website….just sayin ….link is below haha.