I had forgotten about some of these places!

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A Trip Back in Time

Here lately there is a lot of nostalgia on the internet for the 80s and 90s, and I think the reason for that is those were really the last two decades before technology really popped off.  Not that we didn't have tech, but the internet wasn't nearly as prominent or advanced as it is now, and back then you had a landline phone and a pager and that was about it (although my grandpa had a car phone and I remember thinking that was the coolest thing ever).

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Now we have so much tech right at our fingertips, and I think many of us can feel overwhelmed. I mean we are constantly at everyone's beck and call because of the device in our pockets. Our phones are now little machines that have cameras in them, the internet at our fingertips, and we can easily open social media and be connected with everyone we've ever known.  It can be a bit overwhelming at times.  So let's take a trip down memory lane to a much simpler time.

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Vintage Evansville Commercials

I went to YouTube and searched for "Evansville Indiana commercial" and the commercials that popped up were nostalgia gold! It was really fun to look back and see just how far technology has come in the past few decades, and how much Evansville has changed.  It was also really cool to see places that I forgot existed, like Harp's Pets, and Lawler's Discount Furniture.

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Nick Nackery Commercial- 1991

My personal favorite of the local commercials was this 31-year-old commercial from the Nick Nackery.   It's pure vintage Halloween nostalgia!

Lawler's Discount Furniture

How have I lived in Evansville my whole life and I had no idea that THE Jerry The King Lawler had his own furniture store in Evansville?!

News 25 The I Team- 1988

This commercial for News 25 looks like a scene from a 1980s action movie!

Kings- 1990

This commercial is super fun because of how far electronics and appliances have come in 32 years.  My favorite is when they show camcorders, I remember my grandparents had a nice camcorder and we have SO many home videos that I can't even watch anymore because I don't have a VCR, nor a TV with the proper hook ups for a VCR.

Washington Square Mall -2001

This commercial is dated as 2001, but it seems older than that (or maybe 2001 just seems like a lifetime ago).  Either way it was really cool looking at the stores that were once housed in Washington Square Mall. Some I had totally forgotten about, like Afterthoughts, Hands on Discovery, and Pass Pets!

Harp's Pets- 1993

I remember when I was a kid I loved going to Harp's Pets because they always had such a cool set up and cool animals to look at.  Good luck getting this jingle out of your head!

I hope you enjoyed this little walk down Evansville memory lane!

Then & Now - Evansville's Washington Square Mall Through the Years

Evansville is home to a lot of unique buildings including the first enclosed retail shopping center in Indiana. Yes, our very own Washington Square Mall was the place to be when it opened in 1963. If you walk through the mall today, you would never guess how alive the shops were, even through the 1980s. Enjoy this walk down memory lane I've put together, and maybe someday there will be new life inside 5011 Washington Ave.

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