D. 48 searches for buried time capsule

A big mystery is brewing in one of DuPage County’s tiniest school districts.

Is there a time capsule buried somewhere on the grounds of Albright Middle School in Villa Park? That’s the rumor, but it’s anybody’s guess where it is.

“If there is one, we want to find it,” said Ave Berkshire, co-chairman of Salt Creek Elementary District 48’s 175th anniversary celebration.

But so far, all the historical research, metal detectors and poking in the ground haven’t turned up anything.

“I could swear there was (a time capsule), but boy, I don’t know for sure,” said Jeanne Jasek, a secretary at Salt Creek Primary School.

The former president of District 48’s parent group, she remembers a 150th anniversary celebration with balloons, the school band playing, a big birthday cake — and a time capsule. She thinks it’s buried in a grassy area north of the district office entrance.

A former student now living in California called Superintendent John Correll after he posted the question on Facebook. She told him she remembers a time capsule being buried on the south side of the school.

Last summer, crews were digging trenches in the area. “We instructed the guys to keep an eye out, but they didn’t find anything,” Correll said.

And recently, Berkshire found a 1983 photo of language arts students “preparing to bury a time capsule,” according to the caption. But the 150th anniversary celebration wasn’t until 1986.

“Maybe that’s the time capsule that people remember,” Berkshire said.

Some people remember it being buried near a flagpole. Others say it was marked with a rock. “There is no rock,” Berkshire said.

Some people who were around 25 years ago don’t remember anything about a time capsule.

Now, organizers are hoping a former student or teacher who is sure there is a capsule and where it’s buried will come forward. The district, which serves 490 students from Villa Park, Oak Brook, Oakbrook Terrace and Elmhurst, is holding a 75th birthday “extravaganza” on March 12. To find the Facebook page, search for “Salt Creek District 48 Celebrates 175 Years.”

“If (the time capsule’s) around,” Correll said, “we’d love to find it.”