The Pattie House

For generations Coboconk’s Pattie House has been one of the best known watering holes in central Ontario. Originally Keys Hotel, it was located in a logging town, and many of its customers were lumbermen. Its reputation for serving hard drinkin’ and fightin’ men only grew as the years passed and many communities surrounding Coboconk went dry. People would drive from miles around to kick back a few at the Pattie House… then drive home. Back then impaired driving was much more common, and not as strictly punished as it is today… but the number of fatalities spoke for themselves.

John Keys died in 1879 at the age of 45, “from use of intoxicative liquids for several years.” His widow, Sarah Anne (McCullough) married her bartender John Pattie, hence a new name for the establishment. The hotel was very successful, the Patties purchased the Queens Hotel across the bridge to handle the overflow from the Pattie House. It came to serve a very diverse clientele, including a great many summer visitors.

In the next generation, Susan (Keys) Jackson was a very devout Anglican, who would allow no irreligious activities on Sunday. Her son Harry Jackson, who was gassed in the Great War, sold the business in 1937. Since then it has changed hands many times, but it retains a special place at the heart of Coboconk.