Did anyone play RPGs in the 70s? Options

[Wounded Ronin]

History is one of my interests. Both researching, and talking with people who existed before I did.

I have often understood the 1970s to be something of a special time or the first popular dawn of role playing games. At the same time in general I have heard the 70s described as "a more innocent time". I have observed that entertainment from the 60s and 70s was more retarded and nonsensical and more fantastical; consider the ridiculousness of shows like "The Man From UNCLE" or the original "Hawai'i 5 0". For your moment of Zen, clear your mind of all thoughts and imagine a caucasian man in a blue polyester suit with greased up late 60s hair running down Waikiki beach at high noon and engaging some murderous bad guy with a snub nosed .38 revolver (no doubt loaded with FMJs, even), and not even breaking a sweat or pissing in his blue polyester suit pants in so doing.

Has anyone played role playing games in the 70s? What was it like? What were the typical subject matters? How did it feel to only be able to play with people in your neighborhood instead of being able to organize something over the internet? Did individual personalities come to dominate the table due to the constraints of the times?

Any reflections would be most valued.