Black text on a white background. 

Founded over 90 years ago, the Illinois Title Associations is now known as the Illinois Land Title Association. Based out of Springfield, Illinois the ILTA aims to promote the business of preparing abstracts of title to real estate and ensuring titles in the state of Illinois. They have hosted an annual conference since their creation.

A illustration of a tree with an illustration of an acorn and two gold boxes filled with blue text over it on a gold background. 

Though this button is celebrating the centennial of the city, there is some dispute regarding when Chicago was officially founded. The first settlements of non indigenous persons date back to the 1780s. The settlement however was not considered to be a town until 1833 with the population of around 200. On March 4th, 1837 the city of Chicago was incorporated, to many this is the official start of Chicago as we know it.

In 1933 and 34, the city hosted the "Century of Progress" at the World's Fair, to celebrate 100 years. This fair was held to not only boost morale during the Great Depression, but also to help improve the image of Chicago, which had suffered during Prohibition due to bootlegging activity. The second celebration in 1937 was different, it was more traditional with parades, speeches, canon salutes, horse shows, auto races and other spectacles.

The white oak tree is the state symbol of Chicago, adopted in 1908.

Gold text on a purple material background. 

In May of 1934 the Chicago Trotting Club held a large event that included harness races and an amateur horse show competition. The show was held between races at the club’s track on North Avenue and River Road. Horse racing has been a part of Chicago since the early 19th century and in the 1930s the city had six race tracks, more than any other city at the time.

Large gold text sits in a stacked formation inside a black shape that is round on the top and bottom and straight on the left and right side. The black shape sits on a gold background and is surrounded by black text along the border. 

This button is from the 1941 Office Equipment Display at the Palmer House in Chicago. It was the sixth annual Display sponsored by the Office Management Association of Chicago and ran from February 11th to February 14th. The presentation was open to business men and women, and created one of the best business years for office equipment manufacturers since the beginning of the annual Display. 

Red text on two white semi circles at the top and bottom with blue inbetween with white text on it and an outer blue edge on a white background

The Chicago Chemical Society was founded in 1887 as the Chicago branch of the American Chemical Society, which encourages scientific advancement through outreach, education, professional support, and other resources. 

Red text on a white background. 

This may be a button from the 1937 American Association of Nurserymen convention in Chicago.

The American Association of Nurserymen was founded in 1876 as a way to bring the community of nurserymen across the country together and offer gardening advice to the public. It is now known as the American Nursery & Landscape Association.

Red text on a yellow background. 

The World Fair that was held in Chicago from 1933-1934 to celebrate Chicago’s centennial had the motto “Science Finds, Industry Applies, Man Conforms”. However, the phrase “Hello Simoniz” on the button refers to the automobile cleaning and detailing products manufacturer. Originally called Simons Manufacturing Company, in 1912 Elmer Rich and RJ Rich acquired full ownership of the company and renamed it Simoniz. The company had its first office and factory located in Chicago on Michigan Avenue.  The company still exists today and currently uses the trademark to sell a spray on car polish called Liquid Diamond. This particular button was most likely meant to promote the business at the World Fair. 

A blue illustration of a beaver sitting in a forest background surrounded by blue text on a white background. 

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Blue text on white background.

"Vote for Wally and the Beaver" is in reference to Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro who made up the democratic presidential ticket in the 1984 election. A number of crude slogans were designed to poke fun at the Mondale-Ferraro ticket. Wally and the Beaver is in reference to characters from the popular TV show Leave it to Beaver but also utilizes the word "beaver" as slang for vagina. 

The 1984 election was a massive defeat for Mondale at the hands of the Ronald Reagan-George H.W Bush ticket. Mondale was able to win only 13 electoral votes to Reagan's 525. This election marks the second fewest votes in a presidential election - the least ever garnered was 8 by Alf Landon in the 1936 election. As a whole both Reagan campaigns (1980 and 1984) are considered to be "positive" campaigns and his years in office are refereed to as "good morning America". In an effort to expose Reagan, Mondale focused on what he saw was truth and admitted openly that he would raise taxes; his openness and honesty would mark his defeat much like Jimmy Carter in 1980.

An illustration of a beaver on a log between black text over a yellowed background. 

It is unclear if this button is from an event or is a button identifying members from Pennsylvania. The Improved Order of Red Men is a patriotic fraternity devoted to freedom, friendship, and charity. The society can trace it's origin to the Sons of Liberty, a group that fought against the English during the late 1700s, most famously by dumping tea into Boston Harbor. Several "Sons" secret societies came together in the 1800s, officially becoming the Improved Order of Red Men in 1834. They are still active today, promoting freedom and protection of the American way of life through having active "tribes across the United States.