Henderson, MN Forums History Remember when... Happy Hour

I remember hangin out at the Happy Hour (522 Main St.). There would always be guys sitting on the front stoop on Friday nights, watching the cruising vehicles. The back room was popular with all of the video machines. Anyone remember Tempest, Joust, and Mario Bros. The joysticks had just right amount of grease from all the kids playing.

We played pinball, not that wimpy electronic stuff. Ask Denny about Happy Hour songs by Maynard Eue.

The best game back there was the tabletop football game with the trac ball. We'd be spinning that sucker so hard we'd get blisters. The playbook was pretty vanilla though.

Kent Bender was the best at some of those games. Watching him play space invaders was hilarious with his comments on "flying scissors".

I remember hearing "Back in Black" for the first time coming from the old juke box in the back corner.

I did not get into the "bar" part of the Happy Hour but I was always interested as I went to the Apt. upstairs. Donnie Scheiber was a classmate and we spent some time playing at his home. I think the major attraction for me at that time was what the was going on at the business on the first floor. But the games were enjoyable.

Didn't the Dabbler also have video games in the basement?

You are correct sir! It was always beneficial to check below the milk machine outside for loose change so you didn't blow all your allowance on Battlezone, Tron, and Donkey Kong Junior.

I have several great memories of the Happy Hour! This was the first place I was served alcoholic beverages when I wasn't old enough to imbibe. It's also the place where Maynard Eue would entertain us with his very original ballads. It's the first place I evcr ate raccoon-they had a bbq-d coon feed one night.(No,Jeff, it didn't taste like chicken).The place had a lot of different owners, but it doesn't come close to the number of people that ran the West End.

Ah...the West End. See next topic!

Skeddy, Bnag and Tom, Can you name the arcade games at the Happy Hour?

DK, Joust, Mario Bros, Tron?

Battle Zone, Asteroids & Tempest for sure. I remember Dig Dug being there at one time too. Tron used to be my all time favorite, but the biker screen always got me in the 2nd or 3rd round!

Ahhhhhhhh!!! That's hilarious! I had a hankering for Battlezone. Felt like I was actually in a tank standing up on the platform looking through the eyepiece. Plus it was dark. No flashy effects. Classic. Weren't Space Invaders and Centipede back there at one time also? Any clue on what the pinball game theme was? Maybe Dukes of Hazzard or something. Who knows.

Remember how dark that back room was... and the musty smell!

You young fellas might be too young to remember the old football game they had. It was 2 and a half feet high and had a roller for each player. One team was x's and the other o's and you looked down on this big black and white TV screen. I thought that game was the bomb! Does anybody remeber the name of that game?

I wish they would have had that bubble hockey game where the U.S. played the U.S.S.R. That is still one of the greatet "non-video" games ever.

BWAHHAHAAHAHAHAHHAAH!!! Kolter that totally blew my mind man. How the heck do you do that?!? I got Steiner in my crosshares.
Hey Velocity, I re-invented Bubblehockey. Anytime you wanna take me on, I'll be there. Koester and I try and play a mini-tourney once in a great while. Always good to see someone with a passion for the Bubble.

Skeddy:
Check this out....I can almost hear the playing of the national anthem and the crowd cheering.

http://www.marvin3m.com/arcade/chexx.htm

I had asteroids once. For awhile I could barely sit down.

P.S. What movie was that line from?

Vactation....but I think it was "Mya dad had asteroids once, he couldn't sit down for a week." The movie also had the line, "Do you french kiss...daddy says I'm the best."

Hello Henderson Folks! I certainly have some Happy Hour memories as my parents, Harvey & Juanita, owned the tavern from late 1969 to late 1971, and we lived in the upstairs apartment during our first year in town. Two adults and six kids in five rooms--it was crowded! My mother's nickname was Johnnie, so during those years it was "Johnnie's Happy Hour." I was in 5th, 6th and 7th grade during the Happy Hour years, and it was totally cool and fascinating having a bar as a family business and your home. The juke box was always playing the rock and country hits of the time, and we could hear it upstairs. I hung out in the back game room quite a bit and learned how to play pool and pinball. In those days, pinball was "Uptown" (5000 points for a replay), "Crosstown" (900 points for replay), plus a baseball game. I enjoyed the the high school aged kids who came to the back room and remember wishing I could be "that old." My brother, Pat, graduated with the Henderson class of 1971. My other siblings--Pete,Lancey,Kathie,Lois--also attended the school at the top of the hill that was grades 1 thru 12 then. Anyone today in their mid-40's to early 50's probably remembers a Cheesebrough from their grade, or team, or school play. In the Spring of 1971, the Happy Hour was closed to adults on Monday nights and open to kids in grades 7 - 12 and called "The Tigers Lair." My older siblings served pop and snacks and it was a place for kids to gather and hang out and play cards and games in the back room. Lots of fun that we were allowed to take over the place every Monday night. Well, that's enough for now...I'll drop by again soon and write more. Feel free to drop me an email note anytime. Would love to hear from Henderson folks. My family moved away in August 1973 to Lino Lakes, MN (just north of the Cities)and we really missed Henderson.

Only "poker beer" in Henderson.

Phil C.-it's good to hear from you. Your family should make a trip to Henderson to see what the old Happy Hour looks like now. I think you would be pleasantly surprised. Get your brother,Pat, to check out the Henderson website. It would be fun to hear from him. Pat and I chased around a little in his maroon Falcon. his '67 Impala. and I think he had a hearse for awhile, too. Pat could tell us about the late night card games that he, Eddie Berger, Dickie Ernst, and Bermie Van Buskirk had at the Happy Hour.

Great stories! Another fine example of the "Chatter" bringing Hendersonites together. Awwww.

I can remember like it was yesterday Leroy Bird playing Mel Tillis "Sawmill" song on the jukebox.