Notes from Toyland: 100 years of Toys and Games in Montana Main Menu

In the 1980s

37914 1990s
The 1980s began with a bang, as Mount St. Helens, in Washington, erupted and blanketed 11 states and two Canadian provinces in ash. Montana, only two states away, felt the impacts of the eruption first-hand. The ash in the air was bad enough that the Governor ordered all non-essential businesses to close. The eruption, which was the strongest volcanic eruption ever recorded in the continental United States, left 57 people dead and caused millions of dollars of property damage and lost tourism revenue.

For young people especially, the 1980s were defined by popular culture. The computer age was really taking off, although home computers were still mostly toys for technology nerds instead of household staples. Video game consoles, already popular, continued to sell and arcades became so popular at the beginning of the decade that it has been called the Golden Age of Arcades. Although many long-lasting pop culture characters came out of the arcade era, the most popular by far was the instantly iconic Pac-Man. Television too brought instantly memorable characters, nearly all of which had their own toy lines, especially after President Reagan de-regulated advertising and allowed companies to advertise directly to children. The impact of the legislation was so profound that many of the television programs produced during the decade were accused of being nothing but commercials for the matching toy lines.

Here's a look at the kinds of things that Montana's children played with and asked for during this decade:
 
 

Play Pac-Man

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  1. 1980s the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula

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