Time wasn’t kind to Bourbonnaias’ centennial time capsule

BOURBONNAIS – Time wasn’t so kind to the items found in the time capsule buried during Bourbonnais’ centennial celebration back in the summer of 1975.

In preparation for this year’s sesquicentennial celebration, the time capsule was unearthed this past month.

It wasn’t time that caused disappointment when the capsule was opened. It turned out the vault holding the capsule was not sealed properly.

The items were sitting in water.

“We were ready for anything,” Bourbonnais Public Works Superintendent Terry Memenga.

Still, many of the items were taken to the public works building.

“Anyone could put what they wanted in to it,” former Bourbonnais Mayor Paul Schore recalled.

That is what was found when a Daily Journal reporter inspected the items Tuesday. It appears there was a banner from the centennial celebration that starts with the word “Hooray.”

The celebration was titled Hooray Bourbonnais, according to a story in the Nov. 4, 2014, edition of the Bourbonnais Herald.

There are numerous coffee mugs, including a centennial one that was in a few pieces.

There was a baseball glove, what appears to be two phone books and a broken china plate and tea cup.

There was a packet of what is believed to be several cassette tapes that were wrapped up. They were popular back in the ’70s.

There was a Pepsi can, a bottle of champagne and an Old Style beer can. Probably the oddest item was a pair of men’s disco style shoes.

The capsule was buried next to the retaining wall in front of the Municipal Center.

As for burying a time capsule from this year’s 125th anniversary of the village, Memenga said that would be determined at a later date.

One thing is for sure, Memenga said it would be buried somewhere else, and properly sealed.