PEORIA, Ill. – A time capsule from 1897 was opened Sunday at Peoria’s Gateway Building, exactly 128 years after it was placed in a cornerstone at City Hall.
Strategic Communications Manager Stacy Peterson tells WMBD’s “Greg and Dan” that the city’s forefathers didn’t leave instructions on when the time capsule should be opened, and the city had no intentions of opening it.
But not long ago, restoration workers were working on City Hall’s facade, when they bumped into it.
“You know when you get something that significant, you have to make a decision…do we hold onto it?, and a lot of people have asked this question, do we wait until the 150th? Do you wait until the 130th? Or, do you just say we don’t want to wait, we want to see what’s in there. And, we opted for let’s open it,” Peterson says.
The timing of opening the box Sunday afternoon was also very strategic.
“We picked November 2nd at 2:00, because it was on November 2nd at 2:00 in 1897 that the time capsule was placed,” Peterson says.
The contents of the copper box included newspaper clippings, business cards, photos, a single buckeye, and an American Flag.
“And as soon as we opened the lid, the flag was visible. And, I’m getting goose bumps now. It was unbelievable to see something that was last touched by somebody 128 years ago,” Peterson says.
A new time capsule at Peoria City Hall is planned for 2026 to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday. The city is asking residents what they’d like to see put inside it. To learn more, click HERE.
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