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. 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.
Source: Johnson County Post
