Time Capsule Items Sought

DAYTON -- The Boldman House Museum of Dayton is collecting items to assemble a time capsule to capture a snapshot of life in 2012 to preserve for 50 years.

The Dayton Historical Depot Society is taking in any items community members are willing to donate that capture any aspect of life in the present day to contrast life in 2062 when the capsule is opened.

"Mostly (the items) will be paper, but other small items will be included as well," Dayton Historical Depot Society volunteer Sue Rittenhouse said. "(We are collecting) menus, hobbies, digital technology, anything that's interesting to people now that will be interesting in 50 years as well."

Rittenhouse added that the historical society is interested in information about cattle and crops because agriculture details are changing fast.

The Boldman House currently has a pair of contact lenses one of the Boldman girls wore that date back to the 1930's, long-time volunteer Faye Rainwater said.

When the lenses were found, recent volunteers were shocked by the size of the lenses.

Rittenhouse said the lenses were about the size of 50 cent pieces and appeared extremely uncomfortable.

"We would like to put some [contact lenses] in from today so that 50 years from now ... we can look back and see how much they have changed," Rainwater said.

The time capsule, a stainless steel cylinder measuring 30-inches long and 8-inches in diameter, will be sealed and stored in the Boldman House for the museum committee to open and present to the community in 2062, Rittenhouse said.

The capsule's assembly commemorates the 100-year anniversary of the Boldman family's purchase of the home, now the Boldman House Museum, in 1912, Rittenhouse said.

"In 50 years when they open it up we hope that they have a well-kept Boldman House to show off," Rainwater said. "We hope that the building is still standing and well taken care of and that people are still enjoying the building. This will give them another layer of history about the building."

This time capsule is the first of its kind for the Boldman House, Rittenhouse said.

"The house in itself is a time capsule because it takes you back over 90 years," Rittenhouse said.

The house, which has been in restoration since Gladys Boldman willed it to the Dayton Historical Society in 1999, only contains original items from the Boldman family.

And only the items too damaged or decayed for display have been removed, Rittenhouse said.

The items submitted for the capsule will be sealed away in a dry nitrogen environment so no oxygen can enter the capsule and damage the items.

Submissions for the time capsule must fit into the cylinder and be dropped off at the Dayton Historical Depot located at 222 E. Commercial Street by Friday, March 23.

The depot is open Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.