White text on black background surrounding a white skull and crossbones in the middle of the button.  White text reading "1984" situated to the right of the skull and crossbones.

Ilwaco is a historic fishing town in the Pacific County of Washington state. It is five minutes from the Long Beach area, and is located between the Pacific Ocean and Columbia River. The town had 920 residents in 2018.

In May of 1984, Ilwaco had its second annual Ilwaco Pirate Days event. Fun activities that were available for visitors included “a children’s parade, raft race, chowder feed, pirate’s dance, fire engine rides and a grand land parade.” A chowder is a type of thick soup made with seafood, vegetables, potatoes, onions, and seasonings. A chowder feed is an event which features eating a certain type of chowder. This type of food event is most common in the pacific northwest in the United States.

Four other events took place at the same time this weekend of 1984. There was the opening of the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center located at Fort Canby State Park. At the Ilwaco port docks, the blessing of the fleet took place, and also the New Heritage Museum of Local History opened in the Ilwaco Convention Center. And the last fun event to take place this weekend was the Long Beach Loyalty Day Celebration. The Long Beach and Ilwaco Merchants Association sponsored all of these events. 

Black text on yellow background.  Black tires and the letters "MMA" rendered to look like a motorcycle driving across the middle of the button.

Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (AID) is an outreach group for motorcycle riders. It was formed by Richard M. Lester to help raise awareness among bikers of their rights and to bring attorneys together to represent motorcycle accident victims. This button may have been created to commemorate the year in which the organization was trademarked. The Modified Motorcycle Association (MMA) is a not for profit motorcycle rights organization started by Ron Roloff in 1973. He and Richard Lester were allies in their advocacy for the rights of motorcycle riders.

Illustration of a Native American wearing yellow pants with a red and white stripe across the middle and a red feather in his hair.  He is wearing yellow moccasins on his feet and holding a tomahawk in his right hand and a lock of hair in his left hand. Red text and black text on white background.

Florida State University, and their mascot, a Seminole have a long-standing football program. "Seminoles on the Warpath" is an often used phrase for the team, and is even the name of the published history of the school from 1981. The school also has a Sod Cemetery that they use to bury pieces of sod from the schools they visit and win on away games, which each team visits before big games.

In bold, red text, '76 appears prominently in the center of the button with a white background.  Above is a white eagle with a blue shield on its chest set against a red background with white text reading "July 4th" placed under the eagle's wings.  Blue and white text reading "American Revolution Bicentennial" runs along the bottom blue border of the button.

This button, produced by the Lion Club's Blue Island chapter in Illinois, commemorates America's bicentennial in 1976. The Lion's Club is a secular organization, founded in Oak Brook, Illinois, which promotes volunteerism, community involvement, and environmental awareness, amongst other things. 

Santa Claus wearing his red suit with his hat set on the ground next to him praying over baby Jesus in the manger.  Baby Jesus is swaddled in a blue cloth and laying on yellow hay in brown wooden manger. Black text on white background.  

The text on the back of the button, “ALVERNO CHICAGO, IL 60641”, refers to Alverno Religious Art and Books founded by Anne Prete in Chicago in 1958. The store is no longer in business as it was sold in 1995. This button being associated with a religious store is fitting as the image of Santa kneeling before Jesus is supposed to be symbolic that Christmas’ true meaning is God’s gift of his son Jesus to us.

Black text around the border of the button on a yellow background.

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Orange stripe dividing navy blue background. Navy blue text centered on orange stripe.

Although the exact date of manufacture remains unclear, this University of Illinois button would have been proudly worn by any 'Fighting Illini' fan. The characteristic blue 'Illinois' text overlaid on orange is an unmistakable mark of the storied and historic university.

White image of the state of Michigan in the center. Red text surrounding the image on blue background.

This tourist souvenir urges visitors to associate 'progress' with Michigan whenever they reminisce of their vacation or think of the state. 

Illustration of a black-outlined crescent moon with a black-silhouetted female reclining on the moon with her leg held up in the air. Black text encircles illustration on yellow background. 

Applause is an American musical based on the 1950 film All About Eve and the short story “The Wisdom of Eve” that the movie had originally been inspired by. Charles Strouse was the composer and Lee Adams was the lyricist; these two had collaborated previously on Bye Bye Birdie. The production opened on Broadway on March 30, 1970 at the Palace Theatre. The show ran for two years and four months with 896 performances in total. The original cast included Lauren Bacall and was directed and choreographed by Ron Field. The production not only won the Tony Award for Best Musical but Lauren Bacall also won a Tony for Best Actress in a Musical. The musical also won Tony’s for Best Direction of a Musical and Best Choreography. The plot of the musical centers on an aging musical star named Margo and a rising star Eve. There is also love and loss as Margo has to grapple with the reality that she is not getting younger and that Eve is up and coming. 

Black and white illustration of a town with a smoke stack in the center. Black text surrounding the illustration on white background. 

A religious commune based in Iowa, the Amana Colony was founded in 1854 by the Community of True Inspiration. They came to America from Germany in the mid-19th century to escape persecution and economic depression. Doctrinally, they believe that God, through the Holy Spirit, can inspire individuals to speak on His behalf. Although they initially settled in Buffalo, New York, they found a promising spot to settle along the Iowa River a decade later. Since the second half of the 20th century, the the community has been increasingly known for its high quality craftsmanship and consumer goods. The colony was declared a 'National Historic Site' in 1965.