Crews leave no stone unturned to dig up Rock Falls time capsule

ROCK FALLS – The city's quest Monday to unearth a time capsule buried at Seward's Riverside Park 50 years ago was much tougher than expected – unless you were to ask Kim Thome.

"I'm not surprised because I know my grandpa would have made sure everything was well protected and buried the right way," Thome said.

Grandpa was Orville Thome, president of Rock Falls Centennial Inc., which organized the city's 100-year celebration. Orville's name was etched on a stone monument that commemorated the burial of the vault on Aug. 5, 1967. It also said the vault was to be opened Aug. 5, 2017, but it happened earlier because so many other sesquicentennial events are packed into that Saturday.

Although she was only 4 at the time, Kim has some memories of the centennial celebration.

"I remember my mom making dresses for all of the girls in the family, and my dad was so handsome with his long beard," Kim said.

Darla Schueler was there to watch the burial of the vault 50 years ago, and came to watch the excavation with her family.

"I lived right across from the park at Avenue C when they buried it," Schueler said. "I was 7 then, and I can't even remember if we put anything in here. The grandkids are excited though because they're waiting for buried treasure."

Lloyd Card, 93, a longtime Rock Falls post office employee, also witnessed the burial of the time capsule. He was there with his daughter, Karen Schulte.

"I remember everybody dressed up in period clothing for the centennial and a bus company took people on trips through town," Card said.

A few people chose to break out their sesquicentennial attire for Monday's time capsule event. Rock Falls sisters Cathy Hudson and Teresa Sommers brought Zoe Como, 7, of Sterling, to the park, and all were dressed in long skirts, aprons and bonnets.

"Memorial Day weekend we got all of the patterns, and made the clothes for everyone in about a week," Sommers said.

The sisters look forward to hosting family from Chicago, who will be in town for the entire week's celebration. The family will enter a float in the parade as the Hudson Homesteaders.

"Our 10-year-old nephew, Riley, has traveled the world and says his favorite place is Rock Falls," Sommers said. "He's so excited that he even chose Jebediah as his alter ego for the sesquicentennial."

Gwen Tompkins, 87, wasn't at the time capsule burial, but was proud of her contribution to the centennial celebration.

"They had a contest to pick a logo, and mine won," Tompkins said. "I came up with "Spanning the Century", and it was on everything from mugs to lockets."

City street workers toiled for nearly 4 hours, using large equipment to get through the underground fortress of seemingly endless layers of concrete.

When the time capsule was finally opened, the items were wrapped in multiple layers of plastic and appeared to be in good shape.

Terry Buckaloo, Sterling-Rock Falls Historical Society director and curator, helped Mayor Bill Wescott carefully pull out items and put them into bins.

Newspapers, film reels, and mountains of individual envelopes were taken out of the bags. Only a few of the envelopes were opened before being taken to the community center.

The contents of the vault will be displayed at Rock Falls High School for the July 29 Sesquicentennial Ball and throughout the official celebration week, which is July 31 through Aug. 5.

Some of the envelopes had the names of businesses, churches and organizations on the front, while others were addressed to certain families or individuals.

The mayor said everything will be logged and photographed, and copies will be made of envelope contents.

"We'll put some of the things from this capsule into the next one and add to it," Wescott said.

The next time capsule, to be opened in 50 years, will be buried at the new RB&W Park after everyone has had a chance to see what's in this one.

City worker Mike Leaf, tired and sweaty from his excavation crew duties, perked up when he was handed an envelope left by his father who had died in 1998. His 91-year-old mother, still in Rock Falls, was at home eagerly awaiting word on the condition of family photographs that were in the vault.

"Dad was known as Sam the mailman, and in addition to a note and family pictures, there was a list of names and addresses for everyone he had worked with at the post office," Leaf said.

Rick Brushaber of Sterling said he had a hand in burying the vault 50 years ago.

"I used to live here on Avenue C, and I helped dig the hole," Brushaber said. "We just set the capsule in there and they put all the rock on later."

Brushaber flashed a big grin, knowing it probably wouldn't be a good idea to take any credit for the concrete that had just taken 4 hours to smash through.

VIEWING THE CONTENTS

Contents of the time capsule will first be displayed July 29 at the Sesquicentennial Ball at Rock Falls High School, and then from July 31 through Aug. 5 at the high school.

Search for "Rock Falls Tourism" or "Rock Falls Chamber" on Facebook to see photos and videos of the time capsule unearthing.