Historically, the Imperial is a sure bet for the oldest bar in Juneau: Many date it to 1896. Prior to being called the Imperial starting in 1917, it was called the Louvre.

An interview with former gold-rush era dance-hall girl "Klondike" Kate Rockwell, conducted in 1949, paints an action-packed picture of a happening drinking venue and brothel called Mattie Silk's (named after the famous madam who supervised the working girls upstairs). Madam Silk was purported to be in cahoots with the famous Randolph "Soapy" Smith, rumored to be her paid protector.

The story goes that Silk would relieve drunken patrons of their gold and then walk them out a back door that led to a 12-foot drop into Gastineau Channel, which at that time had its shores directly behind the Front Street building.

Another interesting story told by Klondike Kate is about Christmas Eve at the Louvre in 1896. Upon being stranded in Juneau on her way to Dawson, Kate did a dance wearing a lighted crown of candles and made more gold than at any other time in her life. She is quoted as saying, "The saloon was the only place in town where the entertainers didn't have to only entertain in the upstairs rooms."

I learned another piece of the Imperial's history this summer, when I had the pleasure of meeting an older woman looking at an old photo of the bar on the wall. She asked the bartender if he knew the history of the bar.

As it turned out, her grandfather had built the bar and the building in the late 1800s. She proceeded to tell me of the difficult days getting up to Dawson from Juneau when she was a child. To this day, the building is named after her family and is thus called the JJ Stokker building, in letters near the very top.

Today we can find a mix of action, from DJs spinning hip-hop and dance music for a packed bar on Fridays and Saturdays, to a more casual weeknight crowd enjoying the many pool tables or playing pulltabs.

And on the few warm summer days, the roll-up doors make it a great place for people-watching while enjoying a drink. See you there for a Bloody Mary.

• Keith Crocker can be reached at kpcrocker@gmail.com.