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The dream of the '80s came alive in Portland on Friday—at least for the small but enthusiastic crowd gathered in Pioneer Courthouse Square.
To celebrate the 30th birthday of "Portland's living room," representatives from the City of Portland and Oregon Historical Society convened to open a time capsule that had been hidden from the public eye since 1985. While many of the items dug out of the bricks make us wish we could head back to the age of leg warmers and low, low prices, there are a few things we most definitely do not miss, and a surprising number of relics fit right in today (the Jake's menu, for one, looks eerily familiar).
You can view the capsule's contents at the Oregon Historical Society Museum starting June 27, but until then, here's a highlight reel of what they dug up. Suggest items for the next time capsule, to be buried in 2015 and opened in 2034, at thesquarepdx.org.
SEVEN WINES, TWO BEERS
This collection includes Pinot Noirs from Knudsen Erath, Hidden Springs, Oak Knoll, The Eyrie Vineyards, Mulhausen, Ponzi Vineyards, and Sokol Blosser, which we're hoping won't go to waste. On the beer side, we've got two bottles from Henry's. For the next time capsule, we predict a different hops-to-grapes ratio.
BULL RUN IN A BOTTLE
As part of a marketing campaign for the 1984 World's Fair, Mayor Frank Ivancie spearheaded the short-lived initiative to carbonate and bottle our city's legendary water. Don't be sad that these are no longer around—you can get fresher, tastier water from your tap.
LAW AND ORDER
"Kids these days don't know what records are," said Oregon Historical Society director Kerry Tymchuk. Sounds like he hasn't been to Hawthorne's Jackpot Records recently—vinyl is back, baby. Unfortunately for fans of the Oregon State-bred new wave outfit the Crazy 8s, years of rainy weather have rendered this copy of the band's debut unplayable. But at least the cover art, a gunslingin' Reagan by the award-winning Jack Ohman, remains intact.
BOOMBOX
This gem elicited oohs and ahs from the crowd, but folks
seemed less excited about the also-included Madonna cassette tape.
OLD-SCHOOL PARKING METER
No, they didn't take credit cards, but remember when you didn't have to walk a block to pay for parking?
PHONE BOOKS
It took years before I realized that those big tomes in my parents' house actually had a bunch of names in them. Still don't know what all the numbers mean though.
NOT-SO-FRESH KICKS
Sadly, these vintage Nikes have been worn out by the inevitable Portland moisture, but you can pick up a comparable pair at any Old Town or West End boutique.
It's always good to see Portland's dominance over Seattle
make headlines (but who are the Sonics?!), and we must applaud the inclusion of a vintage issue of WW.
WORD OF THE DAY
Along with still-popular slang like "dude" and "psyched,"
this comprehensive list of "1985 Portland Trendy Lingo" includes less familiar terms such as "grind some
greese," (eat) "kuarly," (disgusting) and "awesome/killer/bad/hot/cultural/live/bitchen/fresh/rad/raw" (words to describe a
song, group, person or a concept that is highly thought of).
WWeek 2015