Opening time capsules can prove disappointing. Decades of rain and snow often destroy their contents before they're opened.
Middlebury, Vermont's recent dug-up capsule from 1938 was an exception to that rule.
On July 14, a construction crew found the capsule inside a cement cornerstone that marked the founding of a local high school, according to news station WCAX.
When the town cracked open the thin metal box on July 26, they found newspapers from 1938 and a roster of the school's teachers and students. The paper even lists prices from that year, like garden shears for 73 cents and gloves for 11 cents.
The fact that the items survived is remarkable — especially since none of the paper items were wrapped in plastic. The newspaper and roster likely remained in perfect condition because the capsule had either an aluminum or stainless steel casing and a tight seal.
The school was built in 1939, and the space was turned into a municipal building in 1950s. Now, Middlebury is destroying that structure to build a park, which is how the crew discovered the 78-year-old time capsule.
The younger residents, many of whom didn't even know the school existed, told WCAX that they were surprised by what was in the capsule. A few of the older residents who attended the school even recognized the roster's students. The capsule's artifacts will go to the Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History in Middlebury.
Most time capsules are not preserved correctly. Time capsule guidelines from the Minnesota Historical Society even admit that capsules "may not be the best idea." Burials risk exposure to harmful extremes in temperature and humidity.
A 50-year-old capsule from Michigan, for example, was also recently opened, but it was just a soggy mess. Although the items inside were wrapped plastic, the paper ones deteriorated anyway.
Every once in a while, time capsules do preserve some cool artifacts. In a 200-year-old one uncovered in Boston last year, conservators miraculously found Boston Daily newspapers, a coin minted in 1652, and a silver plaque engraved with the names of Sam Adams and Paul Revere.
