A community time capsule ceremony tied to Minden’s 190th anniversary celebration and the national America 250 observance has been rescheduled for later this month at Jacqueline Park.
The Greater Minden Chamber announced that the Minden 190 | America 250 Time Capsule Burial Ceremony will now take place Wednesday, May 27, at 11 AM at Jacqueline Park, 396 Main Street.
The ceremony had originally been scheduled during the National Day of Prayer gathering earlier this month, but organizers later postponed the event.
Hosted in partnership with the City of Minden, the ceremony will officially seal and bury a community time capsule containing memories, stories, photographs, letters, and other items representing life in Minden in 2026. The capsule is scheduled to remain sealed until 2076.
The project is intended to preserve a snapshot of present-day community life for future generations while also connecting Minden’s local history with the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026.
Businesses, residents, students, and civic organizations were invited to contribute items for inclusion in the capsule.
The public is encouraged to attend the ceremony.
The upcoming burial also carries added historical significance because of the unexpected rediscovery of an earlier Minden time capsule unearthed in March 2022.
That capsule had originally been buried in Jacqueline Park in 1976 as part of the nation’s bicentennial celebration marking the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It was intended to remain sealed until 2076, but many believed it had been lost after the monument associated with it was vandalized roughly two decades ago.
City workers accidentally rediscovered the deeper portion of the capsule while preparing the area around the park gazebo for improvements connected to a community event. Workers uncovered the capsule while removing sections of sidewalk near the gazebo.
After opening the capsule, workers found photographs, cassette tapes, books, and other memorabilia from the 1970s. Among the items were a recorded speech from the original burial ceremony, a pocketbook tied to a savings account containing $50 at the time it was buried, and a Bible donated for the capsule.
The contents of the 1976 capsule were later taken to the Dorcheat Historical Museum for preservation and review.
The May 27 time capsule ceremony will offer residents another opportunity to leave a lasting record of community life for future generations of Minden residents.
