Time capsules entered the American culture and became popular ways to reach out to folks in the future by setting aside photos, documents, objects and recordings around 1939.
The idea or time capsules originated with the president of Atlanta's Oglethorpe University in 1936, and his Crypt of Civilization is Georgia's best known time capsule. I've written about it
here.
Schools use time capsules as ways to encourage future reunions. The Powaqqatsi Time Capsule is located at Holcomb Bridge Middle School in Alpharetta while Frey Middle School used their new building in 1997 to seal a time capsule. Both are scheduled to be opened in 2012. Oglethorpe County, the City of Winder and Mount Nebo Baptist Church in Atlanta all have time capsules to be opened at points in the future.
The City of Douglasville also has a time capsule. Using the occasion of the county's centennial various objects were buried and will be shared with county residents during Douglas County's bi-centennial in 2070.
The picture posted here shows the marker located on the front grounds of the "Old" Douglas County Courthouse on Broad Street. The marker states: "This plaque designates the location of a time capsule depicting life in Douglas County in the year 1970, the county's 100th anniversary. Buried: October 17, 1970. To be opened: October 17, 2010. By: Sheriff or his counterpart with contents delivered to the local governing authority of that day for the people of Douglas County. Centennial Committee: K.B. Fincher, Chairman; James H. Haddle, Senior Vice Chairman; Nell Wright, Secretary; James Slaughter, Treasurer Chairman of Capsule Committee: Lorene F. Walton; County Historian: Fannie Mae Davis; Board of Commissioners: Herschel T. Bomar, Raymond E. Strickland, and William S. Baggett."
More than 100 items are buried inside a steel drum built by Seminole Foundry, Inc. located in Lithia Springs. The drum is coated with polysulfide sealant. In the book Douglas County, Georgia From Indian Trail to I-20 written by former county historian, Fannie Mae Davis, she states the sealant was the same material used to protect fuel tanks in planes manufactured at Lockheed. Items were chosen to give the people living in Douglas County in the year 2070, "a view of the life and culture of Douglas County in the 1970."
Once all of the items had been placed in the steel drum the air was removed and replaced with nitrogen gas. The drum was buried on the east grounds "encased in a concrete shell approximately six inches thick" on October 27, 1970 at 11 a.m.
I'm not sure about you, but I will be 108 years old in 2070, and IF I'm still here I doubt I will realize anything has been removed from the Douglas County time capsule.
Then again....I did experience the 1970s. The items in the time capsule would be old news to me.
However, the capsule slated to be opened in 2070 is not the first time capsule. The first one was opened in 1970 at the first centennial for the county. Many of the items are on display in the lobby area of the Old Courthouse Museum. Also, Fannie Mae Davis did publish a list in her book. It's just an inventory type list, and it doesn't include all 100 items, but it's better than not knowing. I'm assuming many of the items are documents and
photographs.
I've tried to embellish the list with more information and links where possible.
Items in the Douglas County Centennial time capsule:
1. Time Capsule List
2. Centennial License Plate
3. First Public School Building
4. Bill Arp School, 1904....see link here
7. Sweetwater School, 1895.....this school would not be the same Sweetwater Elementary located in Douglas County today
8. Sallie Kate Cooper graduation 1901
9. 1890s Douglasville boys dressed for entertainment
10. County Home 1900
11. Factory Shoals August 1970
12. Program for Burial of Centennial Time Capsule
13. Douglas County Pastors - November 1969
14. Lottie Quillan Roberts....She would have been four years old when the county was established having been born in June, 1866. Records indicate she was buried at the Douglasville City Cemetery in 1961.
15. Journal of John M. Huey - Miscellaneous 1852.....John M. Huey was the County Surveyor and as the next entry shows he could have taught school as well....see link here
16. Roll call, September 1854-teacher JM Huey-Dark Corner (Dark Corner is an area of the county between Winston and Douglasville mentioned in this post
17. Roll call Dark Corner School 1855
18. Certificate of First County Surveyor - John M. Huey
19. Public Meeting and Protest by Huey
20. Lecture "a speech"
21. Bowden Collegiate Institution, 1858-59, Catalogues 1858, 1871 (one online source indicates this was an education facility and was located in Carroll County)
22. Roll Call Dark Corner School 1851 - JM Huey
23. Letter addressed to Hon. JM Huey 1890
24. Roll Call Dark Corner School 1855
25. Obituary of Brother R.I. Giles
27. Copy of deed for other land sold to Baptist Church - 1882
28. Bill for Contribution 1878
29. Tax Record 1877
30. Tax Digest 1875 Douglas County, compiled by JM Huey
31. Taxable Property, 1871-1880
32. Taxes
33. Taxes 1871, MD Watkins Tax Commissioner
34. Minutes of Commissioners Court, 1879
35. Young Vansant, County Treasurer, 1875-1877 (Young Vansant, along with his two brothers were original settlers in Douglas County. He also gave the county the land that would become the county seat, Douglasville)
36. Tax Orders - 1874
37. Commissioners Court for County Purposes 1879
38. Taxable Property for years 1871-1879
39. Grand Jury report 1881
40. John F. Glover, Ordinary Report 1875
41. Tax Digest 1871--1879
42. Tax Report 1879
43. Certificate of Eligibility
44. Analytical Reports -Austell-Lithia Springs
45. History, "Campbell Spartans"
46. Douglas County Confederate Veterans
47. Map, General Sherman's advance on Atlanta....see link here
48. Deed.....1878
49. Southern Cross of Honor recipients (The Confederate States of America's version of the Army's Medal of Honor given for valor. Metal was precious during the war so many of the awards were not minted or awarded. Honor Rolls were prepared instead with the recipient's name. The United Daughters of the Confederacy began awarding the medals after a reunion meeting in 1898. See links here and here
50. Telegram, 1888
51. Letter from Baptist Church pastor, 1887
52. Program for Burial of Centennial Time Capsule
53. Cotton Report for 1881
54. Manual on school-Houses and Cottages
55. Ordinances for the Town - (The Weekly Star) April 15, 1884
56. Laws and Rules 1868
57. Copy of an agreement made in 1875
58. School articles for 1855
59. A profession
60. A letter 1856
61. A lecture
62. A letter to wife
63. A letter
64. A card belonging to Grover C. James
66. Fireworks- Chautauqua
67. Land Deed June 29, 1832
68. Advertisement
69. Douglas County Georgia 1870-1
70. Douglas County Fair
71. Early history of Douglas County-Col. Joe James
72. Analytical Reports -Austell Lithia Springs (2)
73. The Weekly Star, issue 1881 (The Weekly Star was the local paper in Douglasville during the early days.....see link here)
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