Tell me about the beginnings of Northgate

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pmart
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In reply to Rabid Cougar • 6:18p, 1/9/22
Rabid Cougar said:
ABATTBQ87 said:
Martin Cash said:
ABATTBQ87 said:
Martin Cash said:
FAT SEXY said:


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?

I've often wondered what University Drive was called before A&M was a university. FM 60.
Highway 6
That's Texas Avenue. Talking about the street at North Gate.
you are correct; maybe Highway 230/FM 50/60, according to these articles

FM 60.


My first thought was that there probably wasn't any roads there before A&M existed, then it occurred to me that the poster may have meant what was the road called when A&M was a college and not a university. But this was well after I went down the wrong rabbit hole. However I did find this map interesting and the only road labeled on it is the "San Antonio Road", which is fun to see old maps call it that before people decided to add "Old" to it. I believe A&M is on the Scott parcel of land, which I wonder how that came to be.


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milner79
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In reply to MAROON • 8:47p, 1/11/22
MAROON said:
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
No one has mentioned Dead Solid Perfect, the hamburger shack that was west beyond the old theater. Also, few will remember that there was a "grode flick" - the Sun Theater (films and adult toys) - upstairs above Loupots. Northgate also had at least two boot stores, Hollick's and one other, right?
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BQ78
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In reply to milner79 • 9:04p, 1/11/22
AG
Yep Victor's. And DSP was that.
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wtr1975
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8:07a, 1/13/22
AG
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wtr1975
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In reply to Martin Cash • 8:29a, 1/13/22
AG
Martin Cash said:
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?

I've often wondered what University Drive was called before A&M was a university.


University Drive was originally named Sulphur Springs Rd. I have a 1930's plat showing it named as such, but do not know when the name changed.
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Jugstore Cowboy
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In reply to wtr1975 • 10:42p, 1/13/22
AG
Fat Sexy inspired me to do some newspaper dumpster diving.

Looks like Sulphur Springs was changed to University Drive in 1966, at the behest of the bank. This was to avoid confusion with a similar-named street in Bryan. Sulphur Springs was a small community somewhere to the East of Bryan near the Navasota River. I've also seen "Old San Antonio Road" on older maps, but Sulphur Springs was the street name in the city.

I have some clippings I'll try to eventually getting around posting or making some sense of in some sort of logical order.

From best I can tell so far, it would seem that the first real emphasis on entertainment at "the North Gate" was the construction of the Campus Theater by A.P. Boyett in 1940. Boyett also owned a big beer distributorship, and was the uncle of our famous landlord Jack Boyett.
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TXAGBQ76
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In reply to Martin Cash • 2:08p, 1/20/22
AG
prairie
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Rex Racer
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4:28p, 1/25/22
AG
I used to live in the apartment building located on the corner of Boyett and Church. The landlord was named Norma Boyett Bankston (later married a Mitchell and moved to Lubbock). Norma's grandfather used to own most of the land that is now Northgate. What is now The Backyard used to be an apartment building Norma owned that the kids nicknamed "The Alamo". It was later various restaurants and bars. When I came to A&M it was The Flying Tomato.
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cbr
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7:16p, 1/25/22
AG
I remember flying tomato. Really unique and pretty good pizza. They had a run of 'homemade bikini' nights that i found very entertaining, and er, profitable, at times.

Avoided my first mip there, and one of my friends busted in the place and fired off a fire extinguisher one crowded night. Good times.

Back further, my grandfather ran the projector in that theater starting in '42.
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milner79
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8:34p, 1/25/22
Some of you will know or know of Sonny, the barber who had a shop for years on Villa Maria before a recent stroke forced retirement. He told me once that he grew up at the corner of Silver Springs Road (now University) and Texas, where World of Beer is now. He said there was an old dumping ground of some sort behind the homes on that corner and he used to play there as a kid. (Not directly Northgate related, but in the vicinity.)

Again, not directly Northgate related, but very interesting: there are a handful of folks who were born on the Texas A &M campus because there parents worked/lived on campus and they were born at home in a TAMC house. One of those was the late NFL ref Red Cashion.
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aggiedent
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3:27p, 1/26/22
AG
According to an old Batt article:

The university purchased the land Northgate is on in 1912 for shopping and business development. Brazos County was dry until 1974. So all the bars are 1974 or later.

Up until then, it said students had to go to the Ramada Inn and purchase a membership card to drink alcohol.

One old pic I found:
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rugger74
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10:27a, 1/27/22
AG
Dry only for liquor sales, beer was available at places like Aggie Den or Ralphs Pizza on Northgate. The liquor store out HWY 6 was packed on Friday and line stretched for miles back into Aggieland.
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ABATTBQ87
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1:02p, 1/27/22
AG
1940's A&M College

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cushinglibrary/3410230418/in/album-72157616222422453/
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BigJim49 AustinNowDallas
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In reply to whoop1995 • 5:12p, 1/27/22
AG
whoop1995 said:
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.
1949 for sure!
BigJim49AustinnowDallas
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OldArmy71
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In reply to ABATTBQ87 • 1:52p, 1/29/22
AG
What a great photo!
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Ag81Golf
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In reply to Martin Cash • 8:28p, 2/18/22
Martin Cash said:
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?

I've often wondered what University Drive was called before A&M was a university.

There is a current thread on the Aggieland board discussing roundabouts in BCS. Someone posted an old photo showing the roundabout at South College and University. Interestingly "University" was in parenthesis next to the street being identified as Sulphur Springs.
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EllisCoAg
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In reply to Sgt. Hartman • 11:01a, 2/19/22
AG
Started in '79 as well, Cow Hop was the hot date place for me and the future rib
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TXAGBQ76
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In reply to cbr • 11:49p, 3/29/22
AG
Come on now, you shouldn't put yourself down like that!
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Aggie63
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3:24p, 4/2/22
AG
I grew up in College Station. The North Gate in the 50's, was not an entertainment spot: the stores were Holick's
boot shop, a barber shop, a photography shop( A&M Photo Shop), two dry cleaner's (Smiths' Cleaners and Aggieland Cleaners) and a clothing store (A.M Waldrop's). Next to Loupot's was the wooden stairs leading upstairs that someone mentioned in an earlier post. From the 1950s, through at least 1963 it was always a pool hall up those stairs. I spent my life in that pool hall!. Never was a film house in my memory. If so, it came after 1963. From the Campus Theater down to the north gate there was not much of anything as I recall, except the Aggieland Flower shop next to the theater, and a small grocery store near Loupots,(Charlie's Food Market.)
That was it guys, no fun, no frolic, no bars...except for a great pool hall!
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Stringfellow Hawke
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In reply to whoop1995 • 6:18p, 4/3/22
AG
whoop1995 said:
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.


But did you buy her dinner?
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whoop1995
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In reply to Stringfellow Hawke • 4:11p, 4/4/22
AG
Stringfellow Hawke said:
whoop1995 said:
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.


But did you buy her dinner?
Ha!
I am sure I offered!!
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CanyonAg77
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In reply to whoop1995 • 4:48p, 4/4/22
AG
Spurs for fish had zero to do with bottle cap alley. Were meant to spur the SMU Mustangs. Started long, long, before bars at Northgate

However, lots of fish used the alley as a source for the bottle caps through the years, starting in the 1970s
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ABATTBQ87
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8:17a, 4/11/22
AG
I found an Aeriel view of A&M from 1931-32 (1932 Longhorn)




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BQ78
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In reply to ABATTBQ87 • 10:17a, 4/11/22
AG
Wonder when the tracks going right through campus were removed and why did they cut through campus?
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ABATTBQ87
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In reply to BQ78 • 10:33a, 4/11/22
AG
BQ78 said:
Wonder when the tracks going right through campus were removed and why did they cut through campus?
Maybe the train for Bryan?
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CanyonAg77
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In reply to ABATTBQ87 • 11:16a, 4/11/22
AG
ABATTBQ87 said:
BQ78 said:
Wonder when the tracks going right through campus were removed and why did they cut through campus?
Maybe the train for Bryan?
No, the train for Bryan would keep going. Looks like a siding to unload freight, ending behind Sbisa.

Note that there are two train depots. As I recall, two different train lines passed the College.
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BQ78
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In reply to CanyonAg77 • 11:57a, 4/11/22
AG
Back in the old days the station was for passengers and the depot/ telegraph office was for freight and they were two separate buildings often miles apart.

a side rail for freight was my guess but still curious when it went away.
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CanyonAg77
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In reply to BQ78 • 12:28p, 4/11/22
AG
BQ78 said:
Back in the old days the station was for passengers and the depot/ telegraph office was for freight and they were two separate buildings often miles apart.

a side rail for freight was my guess but still curious when it went away.
https://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/Details/5041008674

Quote:
In 1871 Texas Governor Edmund Davis appointed three Commissioners to select a site for the newly established Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (Texas A&M College). The Commissioners chose this location in large part because of the existence of a Houston and Texas Central (H&TC) Railroad line which began in Southeast Texas and extended through this area to its terminus in Bryan (5 mi. north). Although no railroad depot existed here at the time of Texas A&M's formal opening in 1876, H&TC made regular stops here for incoming and outgoing college students and faculty. H&TC railroad conductor announcements referring to to this stop as College Station gave rise to the name of the surrounding community. H&TC constructed a new depot about 1900. The H&TC depots and another built by the International & Great Northern (IGN) Railroad just east of this site in 1900 were for many students who attended Texas A&M the first remembrance of their collegiate experience. Railroad depots owned by the H&TC (later Southern Pacific) and IGN (later Missouri Pacific) maintained passenger service at this location until 1959. In 1966 the last of the depot structures was razed.
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FearNoWeevil
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In reply to BQ78 • 9:20p, 4/12/22
AG
BQ78 said:
Wonder when the tracks going right through campus were removed and why did they cut through campus?
Coal for the power plant. The boiler house built in 1916 is shown at the top of the map and makes up the heart of the current Central Utility Plant.
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CanyonAg77
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In reply to FearNoWeevil • 9:38p, 4/12/22
AG
FearNoWeevil said:
BQ78 said:
Wonder when the tracks going right through campus were removed and why did they cut through campus?
Coal for the power plant. The boiler house built in 1916 is shown at the top of the map and makes up the heart of the current Central Utility Plant.
Makes sense. The Cushing Library Flickr collection has some amazing shots of the old power plant.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cushinglibrary/albums/72157607574215314



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CanyonAg77
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In reply to BQ78 • 9:48p, 4/12/22
AG
Again, I'm pretty sure I have read that there were two depots, one for each train line. I'm willing to be proven wrong.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cushinglibrary/albums/72157622623621905

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ABATTBQ87
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8:40a, 4/13/22
AG
2 trains ran through College Station: the Houston & Texas Central as well as the International & Great Northern
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CanyonAg77
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In reply to ABATTBQ87 • 8:58a, 4/13/22
AG
http://txrrhistory.com/towers/007/007.htm

Quote:
The town of Bryan was founded in 1859 by landowner W. J. Bryan when he donated land for a town site to the Houston & Texas Central (H&TC) Railroad as they built north through the area. Construction was halted south of Bryan (at Millican) during the Civil War, but eight years later, the railroad finally reached the town.Texas A&M College opened in 1876 south of Bryan at a location that became known as College Station, named for the railroad station used by college students.

In 1901, the Calvert, Waco & Brazos Valley Railroad built south from Valley Junction to Bryan as part of a plan to connect Waco with Houston. The International & Great Northern (I-GN) Railroad took over the construction effort and finished laying tracks south from Bryan through College Station to the I-GN main line at Spring, near Houston, in 1902.

The I-GN paralleled the H&TC line through Bryan and College Station, crossing the H&TC line twice: at the south end of College Station and near downtown Bryan. Interlockers were planned and subsequently approved at both locations by the Railroad Commission of Texas (RCT): Tower 7 at College Station on February 21, 1903 and Tower 36 at Bryan on April 22, 1904. North of Tower 36, the former I-GN line curves west and then north to Valley Junction while the former H&TC line continues north to Hearne. In the 1920s, the I-GN became a Missouri Pacific (MP) property while the H&TC was merged into the Texas operating railroad for Southern Pacific (SP), the Texas & New Orleans (T&NO) Railroad.
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McInnis
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9:10a, 4/13/22
AG
I haven't seen anyone mention the old Northgate Theater. It was on the east end of University, I think there's a Mexican food restaurant there now. I remember reading that a Sunday matinee was interrupted there to announce the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Let's just say that by the late 70s, when I lived in McInnis Hall just across the street from it, it had lost its previous luster.

I have a yearbook where the Walton Hall dorm council staged their photo in front of the Northgate billboard where they took a shot at Davis Gary. It was pretty funny but if I described it I would probably get a permaban.
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CanyonAg77
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In reply to McInnis • 9:24a, 4/13/22
AG
I don't recall one at the east end. The legend about Pearl Harbor has been assigned to the Campus Theater at the west end
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