At the end of the grand opening ceremony for the new Billy S. Hobbs Community Center, a time capsule was buried outside the entrance. It contained various items such as newspaper clippings, letters from city officials, and other items from different departments. Everything in the capsule was collected over the course of last year as the city celebrated its 50th birthday celebration.
Police Chief Patrick Brady and Fire Chief Patrick McLaughlin helped lower the time capsule into a tank, which was then sealed underground. It will not be opened again until 50 years from now, in 2072.
According to City Administrator Gerald Herman, the idea for a time capsule at the community center came to him after a similar capsule was buried after construction of the new library several years ago.
“I thought ‘Why don’t we do a 50-year time capsule?’ I talked to our staff and Mandy (Christenson) over at the chamber, and we all got pretty excited about it. We came up with what type of container we would do and looked to see if we could put the city logo on it,” Herman said.
Filling the capsule took over a year long process and coincided with White House’s 50th anniversary year. Following the city’s Christmas parade last December, a dedication ceremony was held in front of city hall. Former mayors, as well as the current mayor at the time, Mike Arnold, and other city leaders filled the box for the capsule with letters they had written.
“That was kind of nice, because the police department and fire department put several things in there, and I wrote a letter on a card to the future city manager and mayor for them to read someday,” Herman said. We even put some newspaper articles throughout the year in there as well.”
Other items placed in the time capsule include an iPhone with pictures and videos, a fly with 2021 Interesting Facts and Prices, as well as a “Voices from the Pandemic” book about COVID-19 from library director Elizabeth Kozlowski,
While the 100-year anniversary of the city would be the ideal time for the capsule to be opened, Herman noted that it will be up to the mayor and board, and the next staff at that time to decide the procedure of how they want to open it up, whether it be on a certain day or certain event.
“This will last until the city is 100 years old. Take care of this building and in 50 years when you open this capsule, we’ll be able to pass this history on,” former mayor Billy Hobbs said at the ceremony for the new community center. “I wrote a letter and put it in there to the citizens of White House from its founding mayor in 1971. I put a note on it, that said I want this letter to be read by my great-grandson, Asher Hobbs, who’s only 3-years old now.”
