The time capsule has officially been unearthed.
Around 2 p.m. Tuesday, a crew of Leflore County workers successfully removed the time capsule buried beneath the courthouse lawn near the Confederate monument.
Jerry Smith, Leflore County road manager, and his crew used shovels and a backhoe to drudge out the long, gray cylinder-shaped capsule marked with “50 years” marked in red ink.
Two capsules were buried under the courthouse lawn in 1971 — one to be opened this year and one to be opened during the county’s 200th birthday celebration in 2071.
The crew had been working since 9:30 a.m. to remove the time capsule after a failed attempt Monday. The capsules were buried several feet in the ground under two slabs of concrete, a fact unbeknownst to the county before the work began.
Robert Collins, vice president of the Leflore County Board of Supervisors, stands on a second slab of concrete after county workers dug several feet to locate a time capsule buried beneath the courthouse lawn. (Adam Bakst)
The job proved to be a bigger challenge than expected, a fact Reginald Moore, Leflore County Board of Supervisors president, acknowledged as the work finished Tuesday.
As the capsule was being lifted out, Moore said, “This is exhilarating. This is a redemption compared to yesterday.”
Several courthouse employees and passersby stopped and watched, later giving a round of applause as the capsule was moved above ground.
Moore said both the 50-year and 100-year capsules will be transferred to the courthouse and locked for safekeeping.
A ceremony is set for 2 p.m. Wednesday on the courthouse lawn, where some of the contents of the 50-year capsule will be revealed to the public.
“We’re just excited to be part of a historical moment and just look forward to celebrating with our constituents and residents as we do the reveal,” Moore said.
The 100-year capsule will be buried beneath the courthouse lawn again at a later date.
- Contact Adam Bakst at 581-7233 or abakst@gwcommonwealth.com. On Twitter at @AdamBakst_GWCW.
