Monroe County time capsule to be opened in 2107

The traffic surrounding the courthouse and the occasional cell phone ringtone seemed to be the only differences between 1907 and 2007 on Saturday at the Monroe County Courthouse. At least, that is what Stephen Volan, common councilman member for District 6, said about the square's environment during the re-enactment and rededication ceremony that took place in honor of the courthouse's 100th anniversary. \nThe event welcomed between 50 and 100 community members who attended Saturday to rededicate the cornerstone established in May 1907. \nIn addition, the Monroe County Historical Society announced the official time capsule – a gold-adorned vault filled to the brim with modern 2007 mementos of what today's age is like, in addition to containing some items – such as a light bulb – that may not be around 100 years from now in 2107, when the 2007 time capsule will be unveiled.\nThe rededication ceremony kicked off a yearlong celebration of the courthouse construction leading up to next summer.\nThe ceremony consisted of several speeches and prayers from Masonic leaders, astutely standing in original uniforms that reflected the 1907 era.\nThe Masons used a level, a plumb and a square to double-check the cornerstone's quality as it was rededicated.\nWhile the ceremony focused on the preservation of the 100-year-old courthouse – whose condition still stands – it also served as a community reminder to those in attendance.\n“Symbolically, we are not forgetting where we started,” said Duane Vaught, current grand master of Indiana and one of the leaders of the ceremony. “We are rededicating the principles.”\nThese principles, he said, were the ones that have allowed the community to prosper throughout daily life for the past 100 years.\n“The ceremony is an opportunity to look back and to see that we have a nice building that is 100 years old,” Vaught said. “We are fortunate to have the building.”\nHe compared the Lake County Courthouse, which he said was left to abandonment, to the Monroe County Courthouse saying, “I walk past the building every day and live and work in its shadow,” he said.\nThe 1907 time capsule is currently buried within the courthouse’s cornerstone but has yet to be retrieved because officials have yet to determine whether performing construction to the building would cause instability, and the chance and cost of risking the chance without that knowledge is not worth the trouble.\nThe 2007 time capsule may be placed in the basement of the courthouse directly beneath the cornerstone plaque, said Rachel McCarty, the Monroe County Historian in charge of the time capsule project.\nVaught said the northeast corner is a traditional place for time capsules to be placed and found.\n“We were lucky to include almost everything,” McCarty said of the 2007 time capsule. All items were placed in acid-free tissue and other protective materials to help preserve the quality of the objects so 100 years from now they can still be recognizable.\nA few of the items in the capsule include: an iPod, a cell phone, a parking ticket, a phone card, an incandescent light bulb, newspapers and magazines and a photo of the cornerstone.\n“I like the list of all the restaurants,” McCarty said of another 2007 time capsule item. “It will be interesting to see what restaurants are and are not still around 100 years from now.”\nAlthough the 1907 time capsule hasn't been recovered, a list of items that were included in the capsule is available, as the information was recorded and filed away. Some of the contents included 100 years ago were: Wood Wiles post cards, history and list of members of the Masons, biographies of various figures, a white leather apron and newspapers and magazines of 1907, among other items.\nIn the 2007 capsule, McCarty said photos of each of the courthouse’s sides were included as reminders of scenery.\n“History is happening all the time, and you don’t think of something until it is gone,” she said. “It is great to look back and maybe see the cars driving by that were included in the photo when it was taken.”\nChristopher Kimmel, a worshipful master from Vincennes Lodge who was in attendance at the ceremony said he was impressed with the large group of people from all over the state that helped kick off the anniversary and cornerstone celebration.\n“The ceremony attracted people to the courthouse, and hopefully it will allow them to appreciate the beautiful splendor of it,” Kimmel said. “(The ceremony) allowed attention to move back to community and allow residents to not take for granted the beautiful building.”