Tell me about the beginnings of Northgate
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Last: 1 yr ago by BTHOB-98
I imagine is started off as businesses catering to the students and teachers and I doubt a bar was among them at first.
For that you had to hitchhike (or later take the trolley) into Bryan I suspect.
For that you had to hitchhike (or later take the trolley) into Bryan I suspect.
Ol' Army Lou started Northgate to gouge the students who had no other place to buy things, Amazon just wouldn't deliver to the Comanche infested Brazos Valley.
LOL'd at that!BQ78 said:
Ol' Army Lou started Northgate to gouge the students who had no other place to buy things, Amazon just wouldn't deliver to the Comanche infested Brazos Valley.
I am not the Six Million Dollar Man, but I might need that surgery. "We have the technology, we can rebuild him!"
Bottle cap alley was there when I was in the early '90's. Wasn't commercialized like is now but still known as bottle cap alley - lost my ring in the alley after dunking it at the chicken - 20 drunk Aggies crawling in bottlecap alley at night was a sight to see - a very nice young lady found it and I will be forever grateful - there is a fish Corp tradition with bottle caps and the battalion article dated 1996 says tradition going on for 34 years or more. I am sure it has to do with bottlecap alley.
Fish spurs to ride Peruna
Peruna being a mascot from smu is what I just read. I read in another article that the Spurs had 100 bottle caps on them and upper class men would steal them and find areas for the fish to run and lose their "spurs" one by one. Simpson drill field must be full of them if one were metal detecting.BQ78 said:
Fish spurs to ride Peruna
More "tasks to do" if Spurs were lost and count was below 100
Anyone ever get to ride? When did this start?
Peruna is the SMU mascot.
My fish spurs had 78 rowels on them for my class year. You had to wear them outdoors the week before the SMU game. Took them to Dallas for the game and gave them to my grandmother. She hung them in her closet and they were still there 20 years later when we cleared out the house after she died.
They were made out of wire hangers, boot straps and flattened bottle caps from bottle cap alley
My fish spurs had 78 rowels on them for my class year. You had to wear them outdoors the week before the SMU game. Took them to Dallas for the game and gave them to my grandmother. She hung them in her closet and they were still there 20 years later when we cleared out the house after she died.
They were made out of wire hangers, boot straps and flattened bottle caps from bottle cap alley
When did this tradition start?BQ78 said:
Peruna is the SMU mascot.
My fish spurs had 78 rowels on them for my class year. You had to wear them outdoors the week before the SMU game. Took them to Dallas for the game and gave them to my grandmother. She hung them in her closet and they were still there 20 years later when we cleared out the house after she died.
They were made out of wire hangers, boot straps and flattened bottle caps from bottle cap alley
whoop1995 said:When did this tradition start?BQ78 said:
Peruna is the SMU mascot.
My fish spurs had 78 rowels on them for my class year. You had to wear them outdoors the week before the SMU game. Took them to Dallas for the game and gave them to my grandmother. She hung them in her closet and they were still there 20 years later when we cleared out the house after she died.
They were made out of wire hangers, boot straps and flattened bottle caps from bottle cap alley
Started in 1925
I still have my fish spurs. And my senior ones, too.
That's awesome! Nice job fellas! Thank you for the information! Wouldn't mind seeing a picture if you have one.
Those made such a distinctive sound that I can still hear some 30 years later.BQ78 said:
Peruna is the SMU mascot.
My fish spurs had 78 rowels on them for my class year. You had to wear them outdoors the week before the SMU game. Took them to Dallas for the game and gave them to my grandmother. She hung them in her closet and they were still there 20 years later when we cleared out the house after she died.
They were made out of wire hangers, boot straps and flattened bottle caps from bottle cap alley
I've often wondered what University Drive was called before A&M was a university.FAT SEXY said:
I'm curious about a few things.. If you're reading this and happen to know something about any of the following, enlighten us.
- When was the first business established there? What was this business?
- Was NG started as a bar district, or did it evolve towards that over time?
- Was it policed heavily back in the early days? (This may be hard to know, I'd imagine)
- Which current business there is the longest running?
- How long has bottlecap alley been a thing?
The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left. Ecclesiastes 10:2
Op's username describes many a late night northgate hookup.
Highway 6Martin Cash said:I've often wondered what University Drive was called before A&M was a university.FAT SEXY said:
I'm curious about a few things.. If you're reading this and happen to know something about any of the following, enlighten us.
- When was the first business established there? What was this business?
- Was NG started as a bar district, or did it evolve towards that over time?
- Was it policed heavily back in the early days? (This may be hard to know, I'd imagine)
- Which current business there is the longest running?
- How long has bottlecap alley been a thing?
That's Texas Avenue. Talking about the street at North Gate.ABATTBQ87 said:Highway 6Martin Cash said:I've often wondered what University Drive was called before A&M was a university. FM 60.FAT SEXY said:
I'm curious about a few things.. If you're reading this and happen to know something about any of the following, enlighten us.
- When was the first business established there? What was this business?
- Was NG started as a bar district, or did it evolve towards that over time?
- Was it policed heavily back in the early days? (This may be hard to know, I'd imagine)
- Which current business there is the longest running?
- How long has bottlecap alley been a thing?
The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left. Ecclesiastes 10:2
you are correct; maybe Highway 230/FM 50/60, according to these articlesMartin Cash said:That's Texas Avenue. Talking about the street at North Gate.ABATTBQ87 said:Highway 6Martin Cash said:I've often wondered what University Drive was called before A&M was a university. FM 60.FAT SEXY said:
I'm curious about a few things.. If you're reading this and happen to know something about any of the following, enlighten us.
- When was the first business established there? What was this business?
- Was NG started as a bar district, or did it evolve towards that over time?
- Was it policed heavily back in the early days? (This may be hard to know, I'd imagine)
- Which current business there is the longest running?
- How long has bottlecap alley been a thing?
https://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/SH/SH0230.htm
Cool you can see the north gate of the campus in the first picture - trying to see when the post office was first made in the picture but kinda hard to figure out in all the usps websites
Bottle cap alley goes back to at least my fish year of 84-85. I suspect it predates that too.
Bottle Cap probably started early 72-74 maybe when more bars opened ala The Chicken, because before then I think only AggieDen or Ralphs were places to drink.
When did dudleys open?
It opened either right as I graduated or just after, 1978-80 I would say.
BQ78 said:
It opened either right as I graduated or just after, 1978-80 I would say.
You were close
What do you boys want for breakfast BBQ ?.....OK Chili.
I was pretty sure it was my senior year.
The Chicken opened in 1974. I got to campus in 1979 and all those seemed old - so no idea if they took over another establishment or built it to look old.
I remember the old movie theatre, the 12th Man bar, the Alamo, The Chicken, Duddleys, and the Cow Hop, then Loupot's
I remember the old movie theatre, the 12th Man bar, the Alamo, The Chicken, Duddleys, and the Cow Hop, then Loupot's
What do you boys want for breakfast BBQ ?.....OK Chili.
FM 60.ABATTBQ87 said:you are correct; maybe Highway 230/FM 50/60, according to these articlesMartin Cash said:That's Texas Avenue. Talking about the street at North Gate.ABATTBQ87 said:Highway 6Martin Cash said:I've often wondered what University Drive was called before A&M was a university. FM 60.FAT SEXY said:
I'm curious about a few things.. If you're reading this and happen to know something about any of the following, enlighten us.
- When was the first business established there? What was this business?
- Was NG started as a bar district, or did it evolve towards that over time?
- Was it policed heavily back in the early days? (This may be hard to know, I'd imagine)
- Which current business there is the longest running?
- How long has bottlecap alley been a thing?
Interesting tidbit/article I ran across about ole army Lou class of '32 and his bookstore - awesome Aggie
https://theeagle.com/news/business/born-in-aggieland/article_de3f3761-2848-5b05-9ca7-0223152f7a05.html
Loupot eventually moved his store to a rented building, which now houses the Dixie Chicken, Daugherty said. In 1971, the store moved to its current location at the corner of University Drive and College Main.
Also interesting fact is that Lou never graduated basically because he was an entrepreneur in his senior year and this affected his grades.
Follows up on what bq78 was saying up top.
https://theeagle.com/news/business/born-in-aggieland/article_de3f3761-2848-5b05-9ca7-0223152f7a05.html
Loupot eventually moved his store to a rented building, which now houses the Dixie Chicken, Daugherty said. In 1971, the store moved to its current location at the corner of University Drive and College Main.
Also interesting fact is that Lou never graduated basically because he was an entrepreneur in his senior year and this affected his grades.
Follows up on what bq78 was saying up top.
The bars at Northgate were too expensive for my budget. I'd usually get a 6-pack of Pabst from Skaggs Albertsons and party w/friends. Did go to the Peanut Gallery on Wellborn Rd a couple of times during my senior year.
We called in the "Fish squish."Quote:
Those made such a distinctive sound that I can still hear some 30 years later.
I started in 79 also. I never visited the Chicken that much. My watering hole was the Thirsty Turtle next door.
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