Who would like to go first?  Nancy, I'm sure you've got some great memories to share. 

You'll have to pick her brain for memories,  But don't let her try to fool you into thinking she was an angel back then.  I remember hearing a buuuunch of stories back then when they thought us kids were asleep ;-)

Go ahead, Nancy.  We don't mind if you leave out a few juicy details.  Based on dreamifucan's report, we can kind of fill in the blanks, if you simply provide the basics.  LOL.  

About the mid 60s the blackboard was a wild place. to keep good order there was one keeper of peace and good order in particular that I remember well. He sat up by the side door entrance most of the time and late at night would evicte the too rowdey in his own style without too much fanfare, Now I would not dare call him sickley looking, but he was super thin and his cokebottle glasses hardley fit his face, His motorcycle hat was always on his head and he always smiled and was very friendly. That trait about him was never forgottten as well as that six shooter  he carried.  I did see a few rip roaring gotcha types become humble patrons in a manner of seconds I hope someone remembers his name and some things about him.

A picture may paint a thousand words, but you've painted a thousand pictures with those words.

Those are the kinds of stories that allow those of us who were too young or who could otherwise not make it over there to actually be transported back in time and space to that very place. 

I don't remember the guy with the gun but I have a few memories.  On my 21st birthday my sister and her husband took my husband  and me out for a night on the town.  We hit a few downtown spots like the Cellar and one on a side street that led into a bar where Ernie Kelly was playing piano.  Then of course, we hit the Blackboard.  It was uneventful as far as rowdieness goes but started my bar hopping days.

You had to get there early on a weekend night to get a table as the place packed out early.  During the week they had a big accordion door/panel where they closed off the back half.  No need wasting electricity or cocktail waitresses as the place was really huge.  On the weekend they opened it up and it was always full.

One night (we were single) my cousin and I were sitting at a table just off the dance floor when a few tables away a fight erupted.  Their  table went flying over, chairs knocked everywhere and the fight was on.  I sat stock still but my cousin jumped up in a panic, flew out on the dance floor and dropped her purse.  "Stuff" went flying everywhere...lipsticks, comb, makeup, change, oh my.  After the guys got tossed out, she and I were out on the dance floor trying to gather up all he "stuff."  I was no pro at all this but I did lecture her on the value of sitting still.  I told her I wasn't about to get up and move for fear they would think I was in on the fight and punch me by mistake.  Unless they were falling in my lap, I wasn't moving.

Another time, long before my time, my parents were there with my aunt and her husband.  Now he was a mean whiskey drinking cuss and somehow Buck Owens (in the band) managed to offend him and he wanted a piece of Buck.  He decided he was going to go home, get his gun, and come back to shoot Buck.   Once they got him home they got him calmed down and  of course, no one would drive him back tot he Blackboard so Buck lived to become a star.   Well, who knows if the uncle would have gone back anyway, or been able to hit the broad side of a barn, but it makes a funny family story.

Back  in the fifty's I put the wrong age on my first time drivers licence, so I could get in to the Black Board and other country music  clubs... My husband was three years older then me, Our friends were all older so I was twenty one instead of twenty...lol   We both loved dancing and The Country places were not that exspensive if you  weren't a big drinker.  There was one Guy  put  his hand over My mile High hairdoo though ,as He came off The dance floor. Back in the fifty's the hair was Big. lol Well My husband jumped up from his chair and that man took off like lightning...... lol

It would be great if One of the tv station's would rerun some of the local contry music tv show's that  were on in the fifty's and sixty's.... say on Saturday's!  We could see all the  people like cousin Herb, Billy Mize Red Simpson Bonnie Owen's Merle Haggard, last but not least.   Buch OWens and The Buck-A Roos Of course I can't remember all the  guest's that came on the show's but there were a lot of them!

Great stuff, Nancy---you too, courious, and I love the suggestion about running the old TV shows.  That would be awesome!  I'm sure those are archived somewhere. 

When I was about 29 I had frosted my hair and off we went to the Blackboard.  The doorman stopped me and made me show my ID.  He commented that it didn't look like me since my hair was different.  It cracked me up and I reminded him that women were always changing their hair color.  He passed me on through but I could have hugged him for the compliment.

I met a guy there who I loved to dance with...he taught me to waltz and we used to do great sweeping circles around that  dance floor.  Darned if I can remember his name.  In those days there was none of that sissy line dancing either by golly.  When that came along I had a friend who said "I've nver danced by myself and I'm not about to start now."

It keeps getting better.  I know there's a song to be found somewhere among these stories.