Dive Texas Bags
Description: Goldsmith is a sleepy little town about 20 miles west of Odessa, Texas. Sitting at the intersection of State Highway 158 and Farm Road 856, in northwestern Ector County, the town grew with the Permian Basin oil field. By 1937 Goldsmith had churches, a post office, a grocery store, a restaurant, and a rooming house, but the town would have to wait another four decades before they had a bar. Tony's Tavern set up shop in 1978, and while a town of just 240 residents may not seem like an ideal place for a bar, Tony was counting on oil field workers and support crews coming and going through town, wanting a place to grab a cold one. Apparently it worked, as Tony's was in business for 35 years, and even became a favorite spot for locals.
Description: Armadillo World Headquarters (also known as The 'Dillo or Armadillo WHQ) was an influential Texas music hall and beer garden in Austin, Texas. Located in an old National Guard armory tucked behind a skating ring at 525 1⁄2 Barton Springs Road, just south of the Colorado River and downtown Austin, The 'Dillo flourished from 1970 to 1980. The venue officially opened on August 7, 1970, with Shiva's Headband, the Hub City Movers, and Whistler performing, and caught on quickly with Austin's counterculture thanks to the cheap admission and that the hall tolerated illicit drug use. The final concert at the Armadillo took place on December 31, 1980. The sold-out NYE show featured Asleep at the Wheel and Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen.
Description: Incorporated in 1845, Paris, Texas is located in Lamar County in Northeast Texas and has a rich history as a center for agricultural trade. With a population of around 25k as of 2020, the unimaginatively named Paris Pub was one of just a handful of local watering holes serving the town for a little over two decades.
Description: Armadillo World Headquarters (also known as The 'Dillo or Armadillo WHQ) was an influential Texas music hall and beer garden in Austin, Texas. Located in an old National Guard armory tucked behind a skating ring at 525 1⁄2 Barton Springs Road, just south of the Colorado River and downtown Austin, The 'Dillo flourished from 1970 to 1980. The venue officially opened on August 7, 1970, with Shiva's Headband, the Hub City Movers, and Whistler performing, and caught on quickly with Austin's counterculture thanks to the cheap admission and that the hall tolerated illicit drug use. The final concert at the Armadillo took place on December 31, 1980. The sold-out NYE show featured Asleep at the Wheel and Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen.
Description: **"Goldsmith, Texas: Permian Basin Oil Boom Town & Tony’s Tavern’s 35-Year Legacy (1937–2013) | Ector County’s Historic Oilfield Watering Hole"** Nestled **20 miles west of Odessa** at the crossroads of **State Highway 158 and Farm Road 856**, **Goldsmith, Texas**, blossomed during the **Permian Basin oil boom** but remained a “sleepy” town of 240 residents. By **1937**, it boasted churches, a post office, and essential services—yet lacked a bar until **Tony’s Tavern** opened in **1978**. Defying small-town odds, Tony’s thrived for **35 years** by catering to oilfield roughnecks, transient crews, and locals craving camaraderie over cold beers, becoming a beloved Ector County institution until its closure in **2013**.
