The Johnson County Museum will display the contents of a time capsule discovered in the cornerstone of the 1952 Johnson County Courthouse through May.
The new exhibit is called “Inside the Box: A 1951 Time Capsule.”
The capsule, a 10.5-inch-by-13-inch copper box at the center of the exhibit, was all but forgotten to history until crews found it while demolishing the old courthouse in downtown Olathe after the new courthouse opened across the street.
“A lot actually was stuffed into that box, and it gives a really good picture of the immense change that the county was going through in the post-war era,” said Andrew Gustafson, curator of interpretation and the project leader on the capsule exhibit.
Johnson County time capsule contained 175+ items
The bulk of the items enclosed in the capsule were paper records, like maps, directory books and dozens of letters from elected officials as well as letters from 14 cities in Johnson County.
Also included were nearly 50 photographs — including some from the ceremony of dedication for the cornerstone that contained the capsule — and an 18-minute audio tape.
Plus, a reel of microfilm museum officials initially believed was unsalvageable was ultimately successfully digitized by a conservator.
“Everything was still in really good shape even after 70 years,” Gustafson said.
What is missing from the 1951 capsule?
- Another time capsule buried in the county’s original 1891 courthouse included coins and Civil War era veteran medals.
- That capsule also included a registry book and other “three-dimensional” objects that you might expect to find in a capsule, Gustafson said.
- The 1951 capsule really only contained paper items, which means those 3D items were missing.
- Additionally, Gustafson said the documents really only told the story of Johnson County at the time from the perspective of the movers and shakers — who tended to be older, more affluent males, Gustafson said.
- As a result, he said stories from people of color, women, farmers, business owners and your every day Johnson Countians from that era are missing.
JoCo Museum exhibit starts this weekend
- The county museum staff is setting up the exhibit this week.
- It will open on Saturday, Feb 3, and run through May 4, at the Johnsonm County Arts and Heritage Center, 8788 Metcalf Ave., in Overland Park.
- The exhibit will also feature items from the 1891 capsule, a history of time capsules and the county courthouses as well as an interactive digital forum for people to jot down what they might include in a time capsule.
- Later on, the time capsule exhibit will be digitized online, including the audio reel and the microfilm.
More photos:
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