Oklahoma Bottle Clubs, et al

As a young adult in Sherman, there were no bars open to the public. The city was dry and alcohol sales were pretty much limited to the three veterans clubs, where membership and admittance was limited. Denison was wet and had some bars but they were the typical bars with music coming from a juke box and no dance floors. But just across the Red River was Oklahoma and River Road. Lobo's and Pappy's Play Pen were on River Road, which was periodically paved and periodically not. These were private clubs though membership was free, and according to then Oklahoma law they could sell beer and the bartenders could mix a drink for you if you brought your own bottle of liquor. I had little money so I brought cheap whiskey. Upon entering Lobo's, the doorman would put a piece of masking tape on patrons' bottle with a number on them. I'd take mine to the bar where the bottles were kept and order a drink out of it. While it was being mixed I'd note the number on a bottle of good whiskey such as Jack Daniels. When the waitress later came by I'd order a "Jack and coke out of number 12" (the number on someone else's bottle, and yes it was Jack Daniels). This would go on until time to leave when I'd go to the bar and get my almost full bottle number 35 (el cheapo) and take it home. I never did get caught.
Lobo's and Pappy's Play Pen were the big boys on River Road. Every once in a while another club would open and take some business away from the originals. After the new kid on the block was open about three months it would mysteriously burn to the ground early in the morning. Arson was never to blame. No one was ever charged. The Bryan County sheriff lived in a very nice house.
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Driving north on River Road would bring you to a more commercial district. There were a couple of outlaw bars there. One, I forget the name, kept the front door locked and you had to ring a doorbell. Then a small peephole would open, an eyeball would check us out and the door would unlock. Entertainment consisted of beer, pool & gambling. Big gambling at the pool tables. But at midnight the main pool table was shut down, the holes plugged and a backstop placed on the end of the table. Craps! Unlike Vegas, this was the more simple game. Of course, the owner ran the game and took a cut of the action. I never played. I never saw anyone get shot. But I heard stories.
The other outlaw bar had topless dancers.
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You theoretically had to be 21 to buy alcohol in Oklahoma and at that time liquor was only sold in a few state-owned stores marked only by an arrowhead. Down the street from the outlaw clubs and directly across Denison Dam was Pie's Place. The old man that owned it had white hair and always wore pants and shirts to match. You could buy liquor there by simply entering his bar and just waiting by the front door. Eventually Pie would approach. You'd place your order (a fifth of Old Crow - that's all he sold), he'd take your money and disappear, coming back a few minutes later with a full brown paper bag. The idea was to take the merchandise and leave the premises immediately. Of course I was underage. The only time I worried was when he turned down two Airmen in uniform directly in front of me. But he filled my order as soon as they left. Pie slept in the place and had a drive-up window with a buzzer. That's where you bought beer and Old Crow after hours. Pie was a hard working man.