Park City collecting history for 2076 time capsule
PARK CITY, Ky. (WNKY) — Park City residents are helping preserve pieces of their community’s past and present for people to discover 50 years from now as the city collects items for an America 250 time capsule set to be opened in 2076.
A collection was held Tuesday at the Park City Senior Center, where people could drop off photographs, family histories and other items that help tell the story of the community.
The idea grew out of conversations about America’s 250th anniversary and what Park City could leave behind for the next major milestone.
“We’ve been talking about America 250 for several years because we knew it was coming,” said Linda Watts, executive director of the Park City Tourist and Convention Commission. “And, a lot of people remembered what we did for the, the bicentennial.”
Watts said that led her to think about what could have been preserved 50 years ago.
“And, I often thought, wouldn’t it have been something to have done a time capsule back then so we could open it now and see what the differences are?” she said. “And so, talked to my commissioners and they decided that it would be an awesome idea.”
What is going inside
The donations already span generations of Park City history.
Watts said people have contributed photographs, family histories, business cards, postcards, brochures, T-shirts and other memorabilia. Other planned additions include materials connected to Mammoth Cave and the railroad, along with a COVID-era packet containing masks and other items.
One contribution stood out to Watts in particular.
“One of them that touched me was, the one of the fire chiefs donated his patch from the original fire department in 1956,” Watts said. “And then he also gave us his 9-11 patch. And I thought that was very, very special, that he did that for us.”
Items cannot be perishable, flammable or contain liquids. Watts said nothing submitted so far has had to be turned away.
Preserving more than objects
For Watts, the project is also about keeping stories from disappearing.
“I have never met people more in touch with their history, more wanted to share,” she said. “They don’t want people to forget. And I think that’s important because I believe that’s so important because every time someone passes away, the history they have is gone.”
That connection is personal for her.
“My grandfather supposedly didn’t want any pictures taken. And so he passed before I was born. I have no idea what he looked like. He never had a photograph. And I don’t want that to happen to anyone,” Watts said.
She said residents can contribute something as simple as a photograph of a loved one or a family recipe.
“It’s important that the community have input because our community is so welcoming and so giving,” Watts said. “We wanted to make sure anybody that wanted to put anything in it, a picture of a loved one, a family recipe, have a chance to do so because, community is what it’s all about.”
More chances to contribute
Tuesday’s collection will not be the last opportunity to take part.
Watts said she is working to offer a variety of collection days and times, including afternoons, evenings and an upcoming Saturday, so more people have an opportunity to submit items.
The next collection date will be announced soon. A date to seal the time capsule has not yet been confirmed, though organizers would like to receive submissions as soon as possible.
When the capsule is finally opened in 2076, Watts hopes it shows a community that valued both its history and the people who made it.
“That Park City did it right,” she said. “That Park City has continued to be a thriving, welcoming, wonderful community.”
