Driving On WA SR-7 North In 1988 (Spanaway, Parkland, Tacoma)

Back in 1988, The Washington State Department of Transportation drove North on SR-7 and recorded video to document the highway. This was part of a project that photographed/videotaped the states highways every couple of years. This video now resides at The Washington State Archives who were kind enough to share it.

[@kevinfan726]

there has been so much change since 1988. wow. it's nice seeing the Parkland theater again. And many other businesses that are now gone.

[@richardgadberry8398]

This was about the time it became an adult theater, wasn't it?

[@RickSanchez-ig3lp]

@@richardgadberry8398 And that's why it ultimately got torn down. The late 80s ravaged the whole area.

[@user-jc1hm3pv6i]

​@@richardgadberry8398so íf a town allows degeneracy, they allow degenerates?

[@tkaye2]

Nice to have a video shot from the center lane, as you can see both sides of the road easier. A few things always stand out to me from the videos shot in the '80s: There are so many gas stations. Many of the old full service dealers were still in business. Once the owners retired a in the '90s, they were converted to mini marts, became repair-only, or left to rot. The smaller independent supermarkets, most built in the '50s or '60s, were still hanging in there. There was a Puget Sound Bank or First Interstate (ex-National Bank of Washington) every few miles. You can basically mark the transition from one community to another by their branches.

[@RickSanchez-ig3lp]

You also need to remember the 80s is when the EPA came into power. A lot of those gas stations were shut down because the owners refused to upgrade their old leaky tanks. There's still a couple pieces of land that are effectively uninhabitable to this day on Pacific Ave because of the outright carelessness.

[@GaryPotocki82]

How peacefull in 1988...I remember that time....

[@pb6839]

we need to bring back those old 76 signs

[@Poopmummy]

Thank you! I loved seeing Winchells Donuts and Godfathers Pizza along the way!

[@TsPovs]

It was weird watching somebody drive past my house in 1988

[@ZoruaZorroark]

sheesh, i wonder how many of these places are still around after 36 years

[@alexx12566]

Those were better days for America

[@Jay-bj2wr]

A lot has changed from then to now

[@macoyreiber4482]

Do you have anything on SR 195 or hwy 26 through Whitman County? Love your work, thank you for posting this!

[@bert1913]

The Roy "y"

[@Leef853]

Can someone tell me if he drives on south tacoma way in any of his videos? Where to find it.

[@highrx]

Jose Pepper’s Chicken?

[@walkermattson]

15:40 - SLUG BUG!

[@NPC_Driver]

What's the story with these videos?

[@RickSanchez-ig3lp]

They were made for the WA State government archive. Basically a snapshot of what various state highways look like throughout time.

[@user-jc1hm3pv6i]

9:50 so that's what clouds used to look líke

[@varnlestoff]

Cars from this time period were awful looking.

[@user-jc1hm3pv6i]

Cars haven't been aesthetically pleasing for decades, and probably won't ever be.

[@trossk]

Not as bad as cars from the 70s. Or the modernen retro looking things to make the boomers happy before the kick the bucked