Geneva celebrates city hall's centennial
Geneva residents of 1912 were a sharing bunch, as evidenced by the small flask of alcohol and snuff they intended to share with future generations. Both items were included in the time capsule they assembled and embedded into the southeastern corner brick wall of the city hall they built in 1912 at 22 E. First St.
Unfortunately over time, the alcohol ate its way through the lid and cork of the sealed flask and leaked onto the documents and photos they intended to preserve. Current Genevans will be much more careful with the items they are preserving for 2112.
Items being tucked back into the box for the next 100 years include a zip drive full of photos of the city, a 2012 penny, historic post cards and a flier for the city's annual Swedish Days festival.
City officials unveiled the contents of the 1912 and 2012 time capsules during Saturday's celebration of city hall's centennial anniversary.
About 200 citizens past and present attended the event to tour the facility and learn how it has evolved over the years. For instance, the large window facing First Street from Mayor Kevin Burns' office was once the garage door where the city's fire wagon was kept. And what is now city council chambers used to be an auditorium where bands played and theater performances were held.
Residents also participated in the city hall rededication ceremony and joined in taking a community photo that will be placed in the new cornerstone time capsule.
"It's just a cool thing to be a part of history," 23-year-old resident Elizabeth Fleury said. "I certainly won't be here when they open the capsule again, but perhaps my children and grandchildren will, and that's neat."
More important than the time capsule, said Historic Preservation Commissioner Carolyn Zinke, is the hope that the actual building will continue to stand as a local landmark for the century to come.
"Historic preservation is very important to our town. We like when there's a story that a building tells," she said. "We like for that story to be available for future generations to be able to hear that story."