New pool hall opened in my home town, of Carbondale, IL.

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animatedvmaker

Banned
Island Drive said:
JC Alexander, is building a pool room right in the Crazy Horse Complex, he's already got the bar going. I'm going to talk to him today (best friends since college 67). I'll let yah know what's really going on. He's been remodeling and enlarging that garden level/bar with a few 7' tables and kicked out the room N. to put in 9 footers. He purchased that whole complex there between the old laundromat and the buildings next to it last year.
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This reply has me very confused and curious.

The other person who you replied to said that there was once a pool hall named Crazy Horse in Carbondale, and then you stated that your best friend is building a pool hall at the same location that Crazy Horse was located?

Sorry, I see your reply was not directed at me, but I am still curious what you are talking about, and where exactly this place is located.
 
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3kushn

3kushn

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
animatedvmaker said:
This reply has me very confused and curious.

The other person who you replied to said that there was once a pool hall named Crazy Horse in Carbondale, and then you stated that your best friend is building a pool hall at the same location that Crazy Horse was located?

Sorry, I see your reply was not directed at me, but I am still curious what you are talking about, and where exactly this place is located.
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Used to be that the bar on the South side of the pool room Only served Wine and Beer and named Gatsby's. City Ordinance said it was too close to the University for hard liquor. Likely said pool rooms couldn't serve either. When that law was relaxed, they knocked a hole in the wall between the pool room and Gatsby's. The pool room originally was call Crazy Horse. After the hole in the wall the whole thing became Gatsby's.

Yes Islanddrive is talking the same place. Around the 600 block of S. Illinois Ave.
 
A

animatedvmaker

Banned
3kushn said:
Used to be that the bar on the South side of the pool room Only served Wine and Beer and named Gatsby's. City Ordinance said it was too close to the University for hard liquor. Likely said pool rooms couldn't serve either. When that law was relaxed, they knocked a hole in the wall between the pool room and Gatsby's. The pool room originally was call Crazy Horse. After the hole in the wall the whole thing became Gatsby's.

Yes Islanddrive is talking the same place. Around the 600 block of S. Illinois Ave.
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Okay, that is interesting. Gatsby's was located downstairs, and had maybe around 12 9 foot tables. The pool room was very big.

If there is going to be a pool room located at that same location, then that is exciting news.

I see that the bar that is currently at that location is named Traxx.

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.721...4!1s3-_CQO91QwC-OnHXQbrIKw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
 
Island Drive

Island Drive

Otto/Dads College Roommate/Cleveland Browns
Silver Member
animatedvmaker said:
Okay, that is interesting. Gatsby's was located downstairs, and had maybe around 12 9 foot tables. The pool room was very big.

If there is going to be a pool room located at that same location, then that is exciting news.

I see that the bar that is currently at that location is named Traxx.

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.721...4!1s3-_CQO91QwC-OnHXQbrIKw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
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JC Owns Traxx, Traxx was the bar right across the street next to the RR tracks 1/2 blk away. He just felt is was easiest to keep the same name for the pool room/bar. He had the first bar location for many decades.
 
hang-the-9

hang-the-9

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
iusedtoberich said:
The name chalky’s billiards sounds super familiar to me. Was it in a movie? Of a members name here on AZ?
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There were probably 30 pool halls called that or similar LOL

I played in both a "Chalks" and a "Chalky's". Met my wife in one (the place was actually responsible for at least 3 marriages that I know of) and the other was the place my son first shot a ball at and played there till they closed from 8 yr old till about 12.
 
Island Drive

Island Drive

Otto/Dads College Roommate/Cleveland Browns
Silver Member
animatedvmaker said:
Sorry, I am not sure what you mean by UD's, and if you are referring to my home town of Carbondale?

I do not know about before the 90's, but during the 90's, the only Brunswick Gold Crown tables in Carbondale IL were at SIU University, in the Student Center Bowling and Billiards. They are no longer there. The manager had them replaced with Olhausen tables iirc, when the it was remodeled.

A bar named Stix, downtown, had 9 foot tables, but I forgot what brand they were. I do not think they were Brunswick tables though.
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Just remembered, UD's was the short term for University Drugs. It was drug store also, the Purple Moustrap was in that complex. McDonalds was a couple doors down/N. from Baskin Robbins. Also, JC went by this place, not open.
 
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alstl

alstl

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
animatedvmaker said:
I no longer live anywhere near there, so unable to go check it out, but it appears that a new pool hall has opened in the small city of Carbondale, IL, where I grew up at.

https://chalkysbilliards.com/

I see that 1 person left a 5 star review about the place, saying that it is one of a kind, but he did not mention anything else about the place, like how many tables are there, and what size they are, but I just think the website looks really cool, and I really hope that the pool room will be a success, because my home town has not had a real pool hall in over 20 years, since the last one went out of business in around 99.
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Ever heard of Bill Hendricks?
 
A

animatedvmaker

Banned
Island Drive said:
JC Owns Traxx, Traxx was the bar right across the street next to the RR tracks 1/2 blk away. He just felt is was easiest to keep the same name for the pool room/bar. He had the first bar location for many decades.
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Okay, yeah, I remember that bar. It was a really cool little bar, that was very popular with the college kids. I think it was called, Side Tracks, or something like that. It had 1 bar table.
 
Island Drive

Island Drive

Otto/Dads College Roommate/Cleveland Browns
Silver Member
animatedvmaker said:
Okay, yeah, I remember that bar. It was a really cool little bar, that was very popular with the college kids. I think it was called, Side Tracks, or something like that. It had 1 bar table.
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I know now he's got two bar tables, and was kicking out the other room side for 9'. JC and I went on the road as college kids. Slept in the bench seats of my Chevy Belair 283 V8. Sucked gas.
 
alstl

alstl

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
animatedvmaker said:
No, but I have always been really bad with names. Was he a pool player?
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He won the intercollegiate 14.1 championship at SIU Carbondale in the 60's. Well known player in the St Louis area.

I knew a guy in St Louis who used to own a pool hall who told me Bill ran 15 racks of 14.1 one day and without missing and a good break shot decided to quit and go home.

If you've ever seen the Louie Roberts video filmed at Cue and Cushion in St Louis Louie introduces Bill at the beginning of the video. He wrote a book about the history of pool. He told me once he didn't own any electronic stuff like a tv. His hobby was pool.
 
alstl

alstl

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
3kushn said:
Of course.
Is he still alive?
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I can't say because I moved away from St Louis in 2007 to get away from the crime. If he is alive he would be around 100 or more.

Last time I saw him he was at Cue and Cushion playing 3 cushion with a cue Burton Spain made for him. Last I heard he had quit going there because he couldn't drive.

He used to go to Riverbend in Alton and sit at a table watch people play and take naps. Most of the younger people in the place had no idea who he was. He kept a low profile.
 
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