Fifty years underground left Woodridge's Bicentennial time capsule waterlogged and moldy, but village staff have pulled more than 500 items from the wreckage and are scanning them for a digital archive set to go live before Saturday, July 4.
Mayor Gina Cunningham announced the recovery in the village's Friday, June 26 E-News. Most of the salvaged pieces are letters written by Jefferson Jr. High students in 1976. Cunningham wrote a letter for the capsule as a student that year, though hers was not among those preserved.
"I vividly remember writing a letter for the time capsule myself in 1976," Cunningham wrote. "I hope others who have contributed will take the opportunity to revisit their thoughts from 1976."
The physical materials cannot be returned. Decades of moisture and mold left the originals too fragile for display, handling, or distribution, according to Cunningham. The digital archive will be the only way residents can access the contents. The village said it will share the archive through its website and E-News before July 4.
The capsule was buried during America's Bicentennial. It resurfaces as the nation marks its 250th birthday.
July 4 Across the Area
- Woodridge 4th of July Picnic — Saturday, July 4, 11 a.m.–2 p.m., Castaldo Park (3024 71st St.). Food, drinks, live music. Free shuttle from Village Hall and Hohnke Community Center every 15 minutes starting 10:30 a.m.
- Woodridge–Downers Grove Fireworks — Saturday, July 4, approximately 9:30 p.m., 75th Street and Lemont Road.
- Downers Grove Independence Day Parade — Saturday, July 4, 1 p.m., Main and Grant Streets.
- Westmont Independence Day Celebration — Saturday, July 4, 4–10 p.m., Ty Warner Park (801 Burr Oak Dr.). Free.
