A surprising discovery came at the hands of off-duty firefighters in Marion, Ohio (USA), when they removed a cornerstone from the city’s old Fire Department building, which was about to be demolished. Behind the stone, they found a copper box that turned out to be a time capsule dating back to 1905.
City officials and firefighters opened the sealed box in a public presentation. Inside were a wide variety of items, including city Fire Department badges from the early 1900s, a list of local government officials from 1905, copies of the Marion Daily Star newspaper from July of the same year, as well as an invitation from Delphos firefighters to participate in the Northwest Ohio Volunteer Firemen’s Association Firemen’s Games, dated 1878.
In addition, the capsule contained a letter from the city’s first full-time fire chief, T. J. McFarland, listing all members of the department at that time and noting that the cornerstone was laid on July 20, 1905.
All of the artifacts will be in the custody of the Marion County Historical Society until they can be displayed in the city’s new Fire Department building, which is currently under construction. This discovery offers a fascinating glimpse into the past and preserves the history of firefighters and the local community for future generations.