in Places & People

What Madison looked like in the 1980s Through Fascinating Photos

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Madison is the capital and second-largest city in Wisconsin by population. Founded by a former federal judge and land speculator James Duane Doty in 1836, it is named after late president James Madison, who died that summer. After Wisconsin became a state in 1848, Leonard J. Farwell, a wealthy businessman from Milwaukee, was instrumental in getting industries located in Milwaukee about 1850. After Wisconsin became a state, Madison became a city with a population of 6,864. The first settlers were Yankees from the east. Germans, Irish, and Norwegians followed them. Around the turn of the 20th century, Italians, Greeks, Jews, and African Americans arrived. The railroad arrived in 1854, and the city developed steadily.

The city of Madison is the trade center of a large agricultural area (dairy products, corn, soybeans, tobacco, and livestock). Food processing is a significant industry in Madison, which is home to Oscar Mayer Foods Corp. This city is known for its lakeshores, bicycle paths, and large parks, including Henry Vilas Park with its city zoo.

#1 Two Madison bars: Church Key & Headliners, Fall 1986

Two Madison bars: Church Key & Headliners, Fall 1986

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#4 Purple Rain at The Orpheum, State Street, Madison Fall 1984

Purple Rain at The Orpheum, State Street, Madison Fall 1984

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#5 State Street, Madison, Fall 1985

State Street, Madison, Fall 1985

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#6 State Street during Maxwell Street Days, a major sales event in downtown Madison, 1985

State Street during Maxwell Street Days, a major sales event in downtown Madison, 1985

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#9 Red & White Hamburgers, N Henry Street, north of State Street, Madison, WI Fall 1984

Red & White Hamburgers, N Henry Street, north of State Street, Madison, WI Fall 1984

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#10 The Kinks Playing Dane County Coliseum, Madison, WI, March 10, 1985

The Kinks Playing Dane County Coliseum, Madison, WI, March 10, 1985

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#15 Madison-Fall, 1980s

Madison-Fall, 1980s

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#18 State Street during “Maxwell Street Days”, July 13, 1985

State Street during "Maxwell Street Days", July 13, 1985

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#20 Gilman Street, south of State, Madison, March 1987

Gilman Street, south of State, Madison, March 1987

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#21 Studying at UW Memorial Library, Madison, March 1987

Studying at UW Memorial Library, Madison, March 1987

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#24 Climbing Bascom Hill on a foggy day, UW-Madison, Fall 1985

Climbing Bascom Hill on a foggy day, UW-Madison, Fall 1985

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#25 Madison, 1980s

Madison, 1980s

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#26 Mondale-Ferraro Rally, Fall 1984 at Wisconsin State Capitol, 1980s

Mondale-Ferraro Rally, Fall 1984 at Wisconsin State Capitol, 1980s

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#30 At University of Wisconsin, Madison, fall 1985

At University of Wisconsin, Madison, fall 1985

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#32 Bike racing around the Square, Madison, July 1985

Bike racing around the Square, Madison, July 1985

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#35 Looking along University Avenue to downtown Madison, 1980s

Looking along University Avenue to downtown Madison, 1980s

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#38 Enjoying Spring Sunshine at Union Terrace, UW Madison, March 1987

Enjoying Spring Sunshine at Union Terrace, UW Madison, March 1987

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#40 Looking to State Street, Madison, 1980s.

Looking to State Street, Madison, 1980s.

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#41 Lunchboxes on Display, outside UW Student Union, September 1986

Lunchboxes on Display, outside UW Student Union, September 1986

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#42 Madison Gas & Electric Power Plant, East of downtown Madison, fall 1986

Madison Gas & Electric Power Plant, East of downtown Madison, fall 1986

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#43 Madison Skyline from Van Hise Bldg (UW Campus), Fall 1985

Madison Skyline from Van Hise Bldg (UW Campus), Fall 1985

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#45 Park Street, University of Wisconsin, Madison–Fall 1985

Park Street, University of Wisconsin, Madison--Fall 1985

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#47 Bike racing around the square, Madison Summer 1985

Bike racing around the square, Madison Summer 1985

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#48 Taking a rest with some spare legs, Maxwell Street Days on State Street

Taking a rest with some spare legs, Maxwell Street Days on State Street

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#50 Madison-Jul 1985

Madison-Jul 1985

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#51 State Street, Madison during Maxwell Street Days Sale July 13, 1985

State Street, Madison during Maxwell Street Days Sale July 13, 1985

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#52 State Street during Maxwell Street Days, July 13, 1985

State Street during Maxwell Street Days, July 13, 1985

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#55 Langdon Street, Madison fall 1984

Langdon Street, Madison fall 1984

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#56 Farmers Market on the Square, Madison, WI Fall 1984

Farmers Market on the Square, Madison, WI Fall 1984

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#57 Farmers Market on the Square, Madison, WI Fall 1984

Farmers Market on the Square, Madison, WI Fall 1984

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#60 State Street, Madison, Fall 1984

State Street, Madison, Fall 1984

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#61 The Kinks Playing Dane County Colliseum, Madison, WI, March 10, 1985

The Kinks Playing Dane County Colliseum, Madison, WI, March 10, 1985

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#62 The Kinks Playing Dane County Colliseum, Madison, WI, March 10, 1985

The Kinks Playing Dane County Colliseum, Madison, WI, March 10, 1985

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#63 The Kinks Playing Dane County Colliseum, Madison, WI, March 10, 1985

The Kinks Playing Dane County Colliseum, Madison, WI, March 10, 1985

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#64 Awaiting Buses, Memorial Union, University of Wisconsin, Madison, March 1985

Awaiting Buses, Memorial Union, University of Wisconsin, Madison, March 1985

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#65 Lakelawn Place, Madison, WI, March 1985

Lakelawn Place, Madison, WI, March 1985

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#66 Looking from Bascom Hall down Bascom Mall to Capitol, UW Madison, 1980s.

Looking from Bascom Hall down Bascom Mall to Capitol, UW Madison, 1980s.

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#67 Bike-mania–Budget Bike Shop on Regent Street, Madison, Dec 1987

Bike-mania--Budget Bike Shop on Regent Street, Madison, Dec 1987

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#69 Fairchild Street, looking to State Street, Madison Spring, 1980s

Fairchild Street, looking to State Street, Madison Spring, 1980s

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#70 Mt Horeb, WI, 1980s

Mt Horeb, WI, 1980s

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#72 Library Plaza, looking to Student Union, UW Madison April-May 1985

Library Plaza, looking to Student Union, UW Madison April-May 1985

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#74 Looking down Library Mall and State Street from Bascom Hill, UW Madison 1985

Looking down Library Mall and State Street from Bascom Hill, UW Madison 1985

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#75 Along Madison’s Capitol Square, Fall 1984

Along Madison's Capitol Square, Fall 1984

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#80 Madison Skyline from Olrich Park, Lake Monona, 1980s

Madison Skyline from Olrich Park, Lake Monona, 1980s

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#83 Bed Races, UW Homecoming on State Street, Madison Fall 1984

Bed Races, UW Homecoming on State Street, Madison Fall 1984

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#84 Homecoming in the rain, Capitol Square, Madison, Fall 1984

Homecoming in the rain, Capitol Square, Madison, Fall 1984

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#85 Madison Skyline from Lake Monona Fall 1984

Madison Skyline from Lake Monona Fall 1984

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#86 Looking down West Washington Street from Capitol, Madison, WI Fall 1984

Looking down West Washington Street from Capitol, Madison, WI Fall 1984

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#87 Looking up State Street to UW Campus from State Capitol, Madison September 1984

Looking up State Street to UW Campus from State Capitol, Madison September 1984

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#88 Hanging out on the Terrace, UW Madison Student Union, along Lake Mendota

Hanging out on the Terrace, UW Madison Student Union, along Lake Mendota

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#90 View from Van Vleck Hall, Madison, WI, 1985

View from Van Vleck Hall, Madison, WI, 1985

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#91 Reagan admits mistake in Iran for Contras Deal, Newspaper Headlines, March 1987, Madison, WI

Reagan admits mistake in Iran for Contras Deal, Newspaper Headlines, March 1987, Madison, WI

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#94 Langdon Street near the UW, Madison, Wisconsin, March 1985

Langdon Street near the UW, Madison, Wisconsin, March 1985

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#95 Lake Mendota Shoreline, Madison, WI, March 1985

Lake Mendota Shoreline, Madison, WI, March 1985

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45 Comments

    • Generally, I agree, with the exception of State St., whose changes have been considerable. Lots of tall apt buildings now. Way fewer local stores, which have largely been replaced with chains. Not saying whether these changes are “good” or “bad,” but to my native Madison eyes, State St. now looks very different from the 80s, or even 20 years ago.

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      • Things staying the exact same is almost always bad, because populations grow and the city needs to grow with that.

        It’s about keeping the soul of the places.

        If you lock everything down and don’t grow then the place either dies and becomes a ghost town or becomes so expensive no one can live there.

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        • State street too me is still state street, when I was younger late teens to early 20s I love it and there was change then (40s now) but when I was in my 30s and moved back to Madison I realized I was too old for state street , it didn’t actually change what it was but I just got older and started enjoying other parts of town more aka Willy St lol.

          Hell looking through a ton of businesses are still there, orpheum, goodmans, ragstock, 90% of the buildings are still there, farmers market and Maxwell still happen.

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  3. I moved to Madison in ’85 and still live and work downtown, so these photos are right up my alley.

    Second time this exact batch has been posted, and again I’m again struck by how much has stayed the same. I get how people who’ve moved away (from downtown or from Madison) might wish it had stayed a historical diorama capturing the moment they left, but that’s not how cities work.

    It’s fun to see Machinery Row in all its coal-blackened glory. I worked in the building when they sandblasted the exterior in the 90s. Quite a dramatic change.

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