The Silver Dollar, Lumberyard and Courthouse Blues: Austin's Urban Cowboy Epicenter.

The Lumberyard in 1978

 

 

Note: This article is based on one originally written for the Northwest Hills Civic Association.

In 1947, C.J. Stark opened the original Skyline Club, an old “honky-tonk”, at 11306 North Lamar Blvd. Out of the city limits at the time that stretch of Lamar was also known as the old Dallas Highway. It hosted big names like Patsy Cline, even Elvis. Hank Williams Sr. and Johnny Horton played their last public concerts there. Later, in 1964, the Broken Spoke opened: another honky-tonk on what was then the southwest edge of Austin. And a decade after that a new genre of clubs was emerging on the northwest edge of Austin: dance halls like Gilley's made famous by the movie Urban Cowboy. Austin's urban cowboy epicenter was three clubs near the intersection of 183 and Burnet road: the Silver Dollar, Lumberyard and Courthouse Blues.

The Silver Dollar (9102 Burnet) and Lumberyard (9200 Burnet) started ca. 1975-1976. The Lumberyard was the former site of a lumber yard, hence the name. Courthouse Blues (9063 Research) started ca. 1978.

Unlike the roadhouse feel of the Broken Spoke with low ceilings and jukebox music, the Lumberyard and even bigger Silver Dollar were cavernous by comparison with large dance floors and high tech amenities; the Silver Dollar employed a sound man, and the Lumberyard had a mechanical bull. Some scenes from Willie Nelson’s "Honeysuckle Rose" (1980) were filmed at the Lumberyard, and the Silver Dollar in particular drew big name national shows.

The clientele of the three clubs varied, although bar hopping took place. The Silver Dollar attracted a younger crowd including U.T. students; the Lumberyard was more a blue collar crowd that included loyal regulars seated around a bar a la the TV show Cheers; and Courthouse Blues was .. well .. yeah, the name says it all.

Those categories of clientele were reflected in their advertisements: the Silver Dollar advertised free admission to college students with an I.D. (fake or otherwise) whereas the Lumberyard and Courthouse Blues advertised “stag ladies free” (to disambiguate from other interpretations, that meant no cover charge for solo ladies).

These were the days of cheap pitchers of beer and 25 cent Lone Star longnecks. Like the movie Urban Cowboy a night at any of the three might include drama: fights (almost a given at Courthouse Blues) or returning to the parking lot to find your pickup truck on cinder blocks sans the wheels (true story). And sometimes worse: the Lumberyard was the scene of a fatal shooting inside in 1979.

Also like Urban Cowboy, after a night of dancing it was great to have an all-night diner nearby, in this case Jim’s Restaurant (9091 Research). While so many of Austin's classic eating places have closed, we are fortunate Jim's has managed to survive and maintain that old diner feel. Jim’s 9091 Research location began life as Jim’s Coffee Shop ca. 1976. After “last call” club patrons could walk to Jim’s next door from any of the three nearby dance halls for a breakfast of steak and eggs where you’d likely see members of some band, bar staff, or someone you’d two-stepped with earlier that night.

Both the Lumberyard and Silver Dollar buildings are gone. The Courthouse Blues, southern most upstairs suite of 9063 Research, is now appropriately a lawyer’s office. Jim’s remains serving good food in a diner atmosphere, and is mostly known only to locals. Thank goodness for small miracles.

On a Facebook page reminiscing about the country scene of that time one person summed it up: "Lots of great times: Silver Dollar, Lumberyard, Courthouse Blues and Jim's after dancing… [Burnet at 183] rocked it 1978-80s!!!".

Ad from 1978

 

Grand opening of Silver Dollar. click to enlarge.