Photographs of McKinley and Roosevelt are next to one another on a white background with a gold circular border.  Above and behind the portraits is an illustration of a red, white, and blue bow on a gold background.

President William McKinley was elected as the 25th president of the United States in 1896. He then won a second term in 1900 with a new running mate, Vice President Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt. McKinley was assassinated just months after he was sworn in to office for the second time, and Roosevelt became the 26th president on September 14, 1901. McKinley is remembered for leading the country to victory in the Spanish-American war. 

Purple text centered on button with white background. Blue text on white background on top and bottom of button.

Group Health Cooperatives's 40th anniversary took place in 1985. Based in Seattle, Washington, this private non-profit organization was founded in 1946 by activists who were involved in the farmers' grange movement, union movement, and consumer cooperative movement. The organization sought to provide consumers with affordable, preventative medicine by means of cooperative ownership. Despite virulent opposition by the medical establishment, Group Health Cooperative became the nation's first consumer-directed healthcare organization.

Yellow text on maroon background. Yellow illustration of two mustangs running side-by-side in the center of the button.

This particular vintage button would surely evoke a sense of pride for whomever attended Mundelein High School in years past. Mundelein, a northern suburb of Chicago, is often referred to as 'Mustang Country.' The official name of MHS's mascot is 'Maverick the Mustang.'

White text on green background.

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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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