Drivinwest, you are right. It was Garcia's. But I remember that place always being crowded. I was a kid at the time so the memory is a little cloudy.

And yes, it was Cybercom.

[This message has been edited by bcstx06 (edited 4/26/2014 2:11p).]

1968 there was a traffic circle at University and S College. The Circle Drive-in Theater was where St. Mary's parking lot is.

1979 BCS was second in the nation for the number of restaurants per capita. San Francisco was first.

In the 60s and 70s A&M had a steam whistle that blew at 8 am, noon, and 5 pm, M-F. I don't remember when that stopped.

Where the Target/Hastings/Old Navy/ Brick Apartments are now was a huge pasture with hundreds of Jersey cows. Same thing on Krenek Tap Road between Central Park and Texas.

IGN and Koppe Bridge roads were gravel roads.
I remember driving through Jones rd and Silver hill to get to my place out her in the county before HWY 47 was built..

Oh, I definitely miss the lingerie show/happy hour at the Hilton. Good times. Home of the infamous snap crotch.

Chace, I didn't realize we'd lived here almost the same length of time. Mr. egret took Blinn classes at Woodstone too - I'd forgotten about that.

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There was a large water tank where CSFD Station #6 now is.

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That tank marked the site of College Station's first water well, drilled I think in the 70's. The water quality was not good, I'm told (high dissolved solids, methane, etc.) That water was blended 50/50 or 60/40 w/ water from Bryan. Later the site was used as a pump station but was taken offline I believe in the early 2000's (I remember the tank being demolished & equipment removed).

Next to the old El Chico, approximately where the HEB gas station is now, was the Texas Avenue water tower. It held one million gallons (1 MG) of water. The new tower on the back of the property holds 3 MG.

I know you all just couldn't rest w/o knowing those vitally important kernels of water history.

99 cent gold margaritas at Two Pesos.

Buying impossible to find import LP's and CD's at Marooned Records and occasionaly finding even more hard to find rarities (like Depeche Mode and The Cure Bootlegs) at Disc-Go-Round across the street from Marooned.

The old Red Lobster building had a HUGE parking lot and the 707 building was two buildings. There was a Mobile gas station just down the road from Red Lobster and I think it was full service. I remember it had a garage.

I was one of the very first baggers to work at Randalls when they first opened. KBTX had me to do a "man on the street" sounbyte for their news story about Randalls coming to town. I also worked at the orginal Fuddruckers on Texas Ave, I worked in CourseWorks at Kinkos, and I also bagged groceries for a week at the then-new Alberstons next to the CS walmart.

Singing Karaoke at Bullwinkles and plugging my ears when the drunk aggies tried to sing when it was their turn LOL.

LJS on Park Place at Texas- I beleive there used to be a Mazzios in that area too.


The Highway 6 feeder roads all used to be 2-way roads. They were all changed to one way before I left town.

The Munsonites created a huge stink because 'so many people were speeding down their road" and then convinced the city to put up a barricade on one side of the street, effectively making Munson a one way street. That barricade sure looked stoopid if you ask me!

Archies 39 cent hamburgers and fries by the bagful- YUMMERS!

[This message has been edited by 1984Consol (edited 4/26/2014 7:11p).]

Mazzio's was later Harvey Washbanger's. I want to say Washbanger's opened in 2001.

H-E-B opened the College Station location in 2002, it was a big deal at the time.

I remember when Circle K pulled out, with those stores initially becoming Conoco, and when all the Texaco stations in town started converting to Shell stations.

The Taco Bell at Harvey and George Bush was actually torn down and rebuilt.

1987, I used to jog down longmire on Saturday mornings and never see a car.

My house was the on the south edge of town. Only fields of grass and trees for miles.

Washbangers was earlier than that, 98 or early 99. I remember doing laundry there as a fish.

In the late 1980s, BCS was completely different.

Along University, between Texas and Hwy 6, there were only three restaurants and one hotel.

Edge of town was basically Southwest Parkway.

Along Hwy 6 were maybe 5 businesses. Few car dealerships and Dirty Sock.

Before it was Fuddruckers, it was Garcia's, but before that, it was Rita's. Not to be confused with Fajita Rita's.

Lots of information in here, some even correct! Been here since 77 and the rats race much faster. No one talks about the massage parlors by the speedway. They were way out of town, Gibson's in Ridgecrest on Tx & Jersey was the everyday limit of south CS. Dirt road from Ft Shilo area back through what is now Bee Creek park over to Bill Fitch's house at what is Glade just north of SW parkway. Jose's was down at the bottom of the wash in a house where Interurban was later built and is now Fox & Hound.
But what I remember working on Thanksgiving day in 78 and dropping my coworker off near Safeway (25th & Tx) in Bryan that evening. Headed south to find something to eat and did not encounter a single car on Texas avenue before I reached Sambo's, the only restaurant still open at 8pm.
Worked on the Brazos County history book in the early 80's Would be interesting to do a online history with modern technology. I know all this useless information is quick leaking out of my cranial mush.

Zarape's was at the Interurban location. Jose's was out Hwy 30 where Koppe Bridge is

Yeah, Mazzio's had closed when I was pretty young.

Didn't the Shipley's Donuts cube (Villa Maria and Cavitt) rotate on its axis? I'm pretty sure it did....

Aggieland Outfitters was this sketchy liquor store years ago, and near Olsen Field, there was an at-grade pedestrian crossing (this went away with construction)

McDonald's, when it was built at George Bush and Wellborn (and I'm sure I've mentioned this before) had a white roof with maroon bands (instead of the traditional red and yellow). I always thought it would've looked a lot better with maroon and white bands.

Confucius Chinese Cuisine, that was a pretty good Chinese buffet--it was torn down for Walgreens (Texas and Brentwood)

Lots of others, some of which I've written about elsewhere:
Wolfe Nursery
T-Bone Jone's
Shivers and its three locations
Kona Ranch on Harvey, now Ozona
Manor East Mall
Chevron at Texas and University
Wienerschnitzel near Wal-Mart
The telegraph lines along Wellborn Road
Sul-Mar Center at Villa Maria/Briarcrest pre-renovation

I'll happily explain any of these if you ask more about it.

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Aggieland Outfitters was this sketchy liquor store years ago, and near Olsen Field, there was an at-grade pedestrian crossing (this went away with construction)

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Coach's Liquor. Best prices in town before Specs, still open (I think) next to Poets.

Born in '64 and raised in CS on what is now Gunsmith Street--used to be a house out in the country on a gravel road when I was a kid. Went to South Knoll Elementary which was out in the country when it was first built. Southwest Parkway was an old wagon road through the pastureland. Holleman Drive ended at Winding Road and went west to Welborn Rd. It was cut through to Texas Ave. in the mid 70's. There was an old general store called Holick's at what is now the corner of Holleman & Welsh. It was in a white wood-sided building. The Holick's had a pasture south of there with a large lake that had awesome fishing. A little of that pasture is left and is now Gabbard Park. 90% of the lake was filled in and the little bit that is left is now the pond in the park. When A&M Consolidated HS was built, many old timers laughed at the idea of building it so far south because they thought the city would never get that far south. The Redmond Terrace center just south of Jersey (Bush) had a Gibson's, Piggly Wiggly, shoe store & barber shop. The ONLY pizza place was Sparky's at East Gate. Sparky's had a black light room that all the kids loved. University Drive east of Texas was a gravel road. The only reason we went down it was to go to Zarape's Mexican Restaurant which was in a converted frame house. We used to hunt small game and fish along Bee Creek near Southwest Parkway and the little creeks that are now drainage ditches crossing Southwest Parkway just west of South Knoll school and between Trinity and Medina streets. Every time I go back home now I'm amazed at the continuing growth and change of CS. It is also sad to know what has been lost and that it will never exist again except in dreams of my childhood.

Here's 17 pages for your reading pleasure:
http://mobile.texags.com/Forums/35/Topics/1314128?page=1

I remember when Checkers opened at Holleman and Wellborn, replaced a smaller building (UtoteM, later Circle K, and ???), all this happened around '97-'98.

The Checkers saw a lot of stuff come and go in terms of restaurants, El Taco Loco was one, there was a soul food restaurant too. (now it's Cajun)

Over at campus, I remember the old MSC (of course), and that Joe Routt was closed for a while because it was really crumbling apart (apparently the steam tunnels underneath?)

For a long time, there was nothing on Holleman Drive East between Texas Avenue and the mall. A stop sign at Dartmouth, Wolf Pen Creek Park (also less developed than now--they ruined the creek, it had more water in it). No stripes on the road at all.

Downtown Bryan in the "bad ol' days", with Palace Theater still with tattered curtains but open.

When I first moved here downtown Bryan was basically dead, dead, dead, and deserted. Its rebirth is the single best thing I've seen happen here in all the time I've lived here.

All I remember about Northgate worth remembering are Nipa Hot and Mario's.

Martha's Bloomers I seem to remember was in Brazos County until maybe the early 2000s.

Greens Prairie Road and Highway 6 was pretty desolate for years. Sure there was Pebble Creek and the water tower, and the McDonald's/Exxon (that opened in the late 1990s?), but Tower Point, Castle-whatever, and all? Nope. Nothing.

Family Video Center and the sunken entrance to the Kroger next door was a cool feature. Beyond that was a Hobby Lobby-type store where Stein Mart is now, then Gold's Gym.

Tip Top Records on Coulter just off Texas Ave. The guy who owned it was so nice.

Saw Garth Brooks in the early 90's at Walmart @ Manor East Mall.

Hwy 30 coming in from Grimes county was 1 lane the entire way into Bryan. There used to be a wicked curve where it intersects with Bird Pond. That was a fun one!

Remember when Walmart & Lowes on Briarcrest were just big open fields.

Used to be a house and livestock pens where Cracker Barrel is now.

Bowling alley on Old College.

Texas Longhorn at 21 and Texas.

Kroger being where Cititrends and the Dollar Floor store are.

ABE Office supplies where Insite publishing is now.


[This message has been edited by barbwire (edited 4/27/2014 11:15a).]

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remember when Checkers opened at Holleman and Wellborn, replaced a smaller building (UtoteM, later Circle K, and ???), all this happened around '97-'98.

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I believe that when the store at Holleman and Wellborn opened it was called Judds. Checkers was (and may still be) at the corner of Holleman and Welsh.

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I believe that when the store at Holleman and Wellborn opened it was called Judds. Checkers was (and may still be) at the corner of Holleman and Welsh.

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Oh yeah, I meant Holleman and Welsh. Jud's Food Store was at Wellborn and Holleman. That was an Exxon for many years, but eventually converted to Valero.

And speaking of Exxon, the Exxon at Rock Prairie included an A&W when it opened, and then a Sonic for many years.

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Remember when Walmart & Lowes on Briarcrest were just big open fields.

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If memory serves, back in the 80s before the new Walmart was built, the developer floated the idea of a tall office building at that site. City council was concerned people could look out the window & watch Bryan High football games for free.

Roll call for Mom's

BrownDeerAggie- that was so cool that you mentioned Gunsmith street because when my family first moved to CS in the summer of 1983, we lived at 1405 Gunsmith. Was that area always that hilly or did the developers create hills there? There was only one way I could mow the lawn and that was side to side. if I tried to go forward/backward, I would have fallen down that steep hill that was half of our front yard and into the street, taking the lawn mower with me no doubt. The back yard had a grade to it as well because everytime we had a really bad rain, the back room would flood and we would have to bail water but it ruined the carpet anyway. The new owners of the house had that back room torn down.

I also remember Star-tel. That was my long distance company. They were in a very small red brick building i think on the corner of 25th and Texas in Bryan. Are they still in business?


[This message has been edited by 1984Consol (edited 4/27/2014 2:06p).]

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Speaking of which...anyone seen or heard from fossil_ag lately?

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West Texas Board

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Roll call for Mom's

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Hear.

But I can't remember the street in Bryan on where it was located. Great food, low prices. Many an Aggie worked (and ate) his way through school at Mom's.

Put on many pounds at mom's.
Also many more eating catfish & rolls at Catfish Kitchen by the airport. Add it to the list that burned along with Shipley's on College & Jose's on 30, and Whataburger on Domonick.
Still miss youngblood's. Don't miss the cave room at Ken Martins on Texas.

Ponderosa steakhouse, mini golf at 2818/Texas, adult video store where Fuego's sits. Fireworks at the mall.

The Cave Room was great. Spray on foam.... nicotine stained walls. Those were the days!

Is that what it was called?

[This message has been edited by crob (edited 4/27/2014 4:56p).]

I worked for StarTel starting in 82. They were at 22nd & Texas. They are gone, but many others like university communications went before them. Think that building is Kerr Surveying now. They owned the old Citizens bank building on Briarcrest for a few years after the resolution trust S&L bailout/sale.

The cave room at KM reminded me of the inside of the stomach in the late 70's Pepto Bismol.
Lived next to the park at Anderson & Holik so know the gunsmith, winding area well.

Installed a pay phone at the holick's then utotem, CircleK and now Checkers store in the early 90's. Al Holick still lived next door. Think he passed a few years later.