MORRISTOWN, Tenn. (AP) – The time capsule that was buried in 1970 in the south lawn of the Hamblen County Courthouse has been opened, and the contents are ruined.
Hamblen County Register of Deeds Jim Clawson, who is leading the effort to recover the capsule, was downcast as he described the contents.
“We had dug it up August 27 in preparation for the ceremony we were going to have on September 18 on the south lawn,” he said. “We found the contents wet, soiled and most of it is unidentifiable. Terry Myers and the maintenance staff have cleaned it up to the best of their ability.”
When workers unearthed the capsule and examined its content, they discovered there had not been quite enough water sealing in the vault.
“There was a vault about three-and-a-half feet deep. The problem was, in the vault, they did not put the materials in a time capsule inside of the vault,” Clawson said. “(The items were in) plastic bags, double wrapped. The vault took on water through the years and everything was spoiled.”