Wheaton preparing to bury new time capsule

After getting the opportunity to open a time capsule from the late 1950s, Wheaton is going to return the favor to generations 50 years from now.

The city has collected a number of items - including newspapers, books and DVDs - for a time capsule set to be opened on Wheaton's bicentennial anniversary in 2059. The capsule will be buried this weekend in front of city hall, 303 W. Wesley St. A dedication ceremony is planned for 9 a.m. Saturday at city hall.

"This is an excellent teaching device for us as a city," Mayor Michael Gresk said. "Fifty years from now, when we celebrate our 200th anniversary, there will be artifacts and documents and letters that we can put forward to Wheaton at the middle of this century. I'm just very excited about it."

In June, the city opened a time capsule from 1959 as part of its yearlong sesquicentennial celebration. That capsule was created to mark Wheaton's 100th anniversary and was originally buried at the old police station site along Wheaton Avenue. It was unearthed for the first time when the building was demolished in 1992 and reburied at the current police station site along Liberty Drive.

When it was finally opened, the 1959 capsule contained items such as posters, toys and letters.

For the new capsule, the city asked community groups, schools and residents to submit items and spent several months getting everything together.

"There's a big variety of items representing the town," said Susan Wallace, the city's special projects assistant.

Wallace said the list of items placed inside the time capsule include a Wheaton North High School cheerleading uniform, photographs, a cellular phone and variety of items from Wheaton's sesquicentennial anniversary celebration. There's even a few advertisements.

All the contents were prepared for burial with the help of the Center for History in Wheaton.

For information about Saturday's dedication ceremony, visit the city's Web site at wheaton.il.us/.