A Gift from the Past: McKinley Students Open 1976 Time Capsule

In 1976, the 5th and 6th graders at McKinley Elementary buried a piece of history. Created for the United States Bicentennial, the time capsule was designed to show future generations what life was like in Stevens Point 50 years ago. Last week, today’s students had the chance to explore its contents and reflect on what they found.

“This was a fun activity and a mysterious one,” said 4th grader Aaron.

“It’s really cool that they did this,” said fifth grader Grace. “It’s so fun to do all this for a time capsule.” 

Some of the favorite items students found were art projects, newspapers, food labels, and yearbooks. “Yearbooks just hold a bunch of memories,” said fifth grader Violet. “It’s kind of special.”

“It shows how everything has changed since that time,” said fifth grader Natalie. Violet agreed, adding: “And how these things are still here today, over 50 years later.” 

The capsule also served as a living history lesson on the local economy, featuring items from iconic businesses like Herrschners, Okray Farms, Del Monte, and more.

An open house will be held on Thursday, May 7, from 3:45 to 5:30 p.m. for the public to see what was inside the time capsule.

Check out the time capsule highlights!