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100-Year-Old Ridgway (PA) Time Capsule a Surprise

By Gretchen Rokosky

RIDGWAY, PA (August 4, 2003) - The Evangelical Covenant Church of Ridgway recently discovered a link to their past when they were replacing the cornerstone of their church building. When the stone was removed, a small metal box was found that had been placed there almost 100 years ago as a time capsule for future generations. The time capsule was opened on Sunday, July 27, during the worship service.

While it was common practice for time capsules to be placed with cornerstones, this discovery came as a surprise. "We didn't know the time capsule was there," Pastor Craig Duffield said. "There was nothing in the minutes . . . that there was a time capsule."

A new time capsule will be prepared that will include the older items from the original capsule along with the new items - the new capsule will be placed in a new handicap ramp soon to be constructed.

Time capsule items, wrapped in asbestos, included: A Swedish Bible, a hymnal, several stamps, a letter from the congregation that included a list of church officers and the building committee, a copy of the May 26, 1908, Chicago Swedish newspaper Missions-Wannen (Mission Friends), a copy of the Ridgway Daily Record dated April 29, 1908, and a copy of the church constitution from 1903. "We are still awaiting translation on some things, but there appears to be a copy of some notes from the builder," Duffield said.

Ridgway is located in Elk County in the northwestern part of Pennsylvania. To see more photos of the time capsule and contents, visit Time Capsule

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