On April 22, 1913, the Ladies Aid Society and the First Lutheran Church of Oklahoma City, OK buried a chest in the basement of the church building. 100 years later, the time capsule was ready to be opened.
It took 11 hours of excavation to unearth what is lovingly called The Century Chest, but the contents were well worth the wait.
The first item to be taken out of the chest, was a copy of The Daily Oklahoman.
There was a desk phone made by Pioneer Telephone and Telegraph.
Items of daily use, like this coffee can, were also included.
To everyone’s delight, garments and a fashion magazine were packaged in the capsule. They had remained in excellent condition. An audible gasp in the crowd was heard when the polished leather shoes were taken from the box, still in pristine condition.
The most delightful finds, however, were the messages and letters.
While there were many letters from committees to their future members, the most interesting was this package of letters from the blind residents of Oklahoma City in 1913, to the blind residents of today.
There were even recorded messages and songs, along with an Edison phonograph to play them on.
The Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations are also sponsors of the time capsule. This is a Bible translated into Choctaw.
They also found a copy of the Chickasaw Nation Constitution, and a plate with the Seal of the Chickasaw Nation painted by Julia Chisholm Navenport, niece of Gov. W.H. Johnson of the Chickasaw Nation.
The time capsule also includes a pen used by President William McKinley to sign the Free Homes Bill of Oklahoma, a spoon made of Buffalo horn, and a bottle filled with Oklahoma wheat. The entirety of the collection is on display at the Oklahoma History Center.
