History
of the DC Eagle
Roots
Most of you weren't around in the late 1960s.
A group of guys put together dinners for local motorcyclists and
leathermen These dinners took place at a bar on 9th Street in
NW called Louis'. Oddly enough, it was located right across the
street from FBI headquarters, and these were the days of J. Edgar
Hoover. The bar was renamed Louis' Spartan Lounge, after the Spartans
MC was formed on April 3, 1968. On September 4, 1968, Don Bruce
became, what we now refer to as, our first "Baby Spartan."
These dates and events are important to this story, because they
would give birth to the legendary DC Eagle.
Early Years
Eventually, Don Bruce, became one of the early
Spartans Presidents. He then decided that our crowd should have
a home of our own. Don and his brother Eddie pooled their money
to open the first of three buildings on 9th Street. The night
before the Eagle was to open, Don invited
the Spartans to take part in a ceremony. They placed nails into
a sculpture of an eagle. This sculpture hung on the wall of that
bar until the building was claimed by eminent domain to make way
for what was then the "new" DC Convention Center. The
Eagle gave flight to a number of other businesses, including the
Leather Rack and the Eagle in Exile.
Traditions
There are many traditions that evolved from
the brotherhood of the Spartans and the Eagle in the early years.
The Hanging of the Club Colors. The
Spartan Colors were the first club colors to ever hang on the
walls of the Eagle and subsequently other bars adopted this tradition.
Club Mugs. The Spartans
were the first club to have mugs in the Eagle. Don wanted the
club members to feel at home and special. Don insisted that any
club member who came to the bar received special treatment.
Helmet Drinks. As a
thank you to the bikers that patronized the Eagle, the first drink
is always on the house.
Blackout Nights. One night while the
bar was open, there was a power outage and rather than close,
candles were placed around the bar. Thus began the tradition of
a "Blackout Night."
Thanksgiving Dinner. Don was very aware
of the numbers of men that had nowhere to go on Thanksgiving Day.
He began a tradition of preparing a complete holiday feast with
all the trimmings that was available to all.
Christmas Carols. Every Christmas Day,
those that were in town would gather at the Eagle and sing carols
with friends, instead of being alone.
Mr. DC Eagle Contest. The
idea of selecting a man who best represented the traditions and
mystique of the bar was a novel one. The Mr. DC Eagle Contest
is the longest running leather title contest in the entire country.
Eagle is always Open. The Eagle was
open 365 days a year without fail. God help the manager who did
not have that door open at noon sharp.
Time Moved On
The
Eagle was forced from its nest on 9th Street, to make way for
a new convention space. The bar closed at the regular hour on
moving night and reopened the next day at noon in a brand new
location. Many of the club members
were drafted into the moving party to make sure everything would
be ready.
The Eagle
was not just the child of Don and Eddie. Dick McHugh, Don's partner
in life, was there every step of the way. Dick was the Mr. Fix-It
of the DC Eagle. He was the one that kept antiquated coolers,
ice machines, air conditioning and heaters operating. Dick was
the quiet force behind the scenes during the early days. But if
you knew Dick, you could see his influence throughout the place.
The time came again when the DC Eagle would be forced from it's
nest, to make way for a new technology center on 7th Street. Don
and Eddie retired to Florida soon after the move. Dick stayed
in town and opened Dick's Place, on New York Avenue, in the old
Manhattan Transfer Company building. Dick's Place, became the
DC Eagle that we know today. The rest, as they say, is history.
