WELCH - The weather was drizzly and chilly, but the sun burst through the clouds momentarily Friday afternoon, May 16th, as the 50-year-old time capsule buried in the lawn of the McDowell County Courthouse was opened.
“It’s as if our predecessors are watching and smiling on us,” one onlooker observed as the rectangular stainless steel box was hoisted from the pool of water in which it floated.
Much to the amazement of the crowd, the Girl Scout Cookie box inside the time capsule remained airtight and dry, and was chock full of mementos from McDowell County’s 1958 Centennial Celebration. The box was quickly whisked into the Assessor’s Office where County Commissioners Gordon Lambert and Judy Cortellesi and Assessor Dennis Altizer gingerly revealed the contents to the crowd who aahed as each item was displayed.
Documents in the box revealed that Eastern Gas & Fuel donated the stainless steel time capsule and that Corte Construction donated the concrete liner and the granite marker that capped the vault that housed the history.
In a letter extracted from the capsule, the Cortes predicted that McDowell County’s population in 2008 would be 25,000 and that mining would be fully automated by push buttons.
“They were prophetic,” one onlooker noted upon hearing the prediction.
In addition to the expected newspapers of the day, the time capsule contained letters, wooden nickels, a dollar bill, coins, pictures and a signature list, autographed by many prominent citizens from the era.
Familiar names on the signature list included the late Welch Attorney Colonel Ballard, Beer Distributor J.G. “Joe” Hunt, Chester Matney, Bob Fanning, Joe and Rose Marino, and Samuel Sollins, who helped found the American Legion.
Vicky Gilman, McDowell County Assessor’s Office, recorded each item as it was removed from the box.
County Manager Jennifer Wimmer and County Commission P.R. Director Cathy Patton are now collecting small items for the next time capsule, which will be buried in the near future and opened in 2058.
“We won’t be here to see it opened, but it will be fun filling the capsule,” Wimmer said. “My contribution will be a special message to my son, Christian.”
“Current technology will be antiquated in 2058,” Patton said. “We’re going to include a small DVD player in the next time capsule so the people who open it will be able to play the DVDs that we will include in it.”
Patton added that opening the time capsule reminded her of man’s mortality and of the brevity of life.
“It was wonderful to take a stroll down memory lane and look at all those old items, but it felt weird to know that most of us won’t be here when the new time capsule is opened in 2058,” she said. “To me, it is a good reminder to aspire to do positive things and to make every day count.”
Videographer Dwane Muncy, Cucumber and Company, filmed the opening of the time capsule, and the buffet chicken dinner on the courthouse lawn, which preceded it. The event was sponsored by the McDowell County Commission. A video of the event will be placed in the time capsule.
Chief Magistrate Martin West offered the invocation and County Commission President Gordon Lambert welcomed the crowd of over 125 who attended the ceremony.
In the near future, the County Commission will decide where to best display the items extracted from the time capsule. Meanwhile, the keepsakes are currently locked in a special vault in the vault at the McDowell County National Bank (MCNB).

The complete list of Items extracted from the time capsule include: a time capsule plaque, McDowell County Centennial seal, Centennial bumper stickers, a Centennial Pennant, 15 McDowell County Centennial membership cards, a Brothers of the Bush Certificate, a Centennial Belle’s Certificate, a picture of a McDowell County pioneer of 50 years, pictures and a letter from Mr. & Mrs. Paul Mullins, letter from Mr. & Mrs. Estel Roberts, a picture of Tom St. Clair, a McDowell County Centennial bowtie and letters and pictures from Joe and Rose Marino.
Additionally, the time capsule included a letter regarding Catholic Churches in McDowell County, a letter from Corte Construction, a letter from Welch High teachers Artemis and Robert Gray, a Kiwanis Club Welch Daily News Special Edition, a letter from St. Peter’s Catholic Church Father Ryan, photos of Mabel Alley, a wooden nickel, a Red Robin Newsletter, 1908 dime, nickel and quarters, a signature list & census estimates, a copy of the Iaeger Industrial News, Centennial decals, a copy of the 1941 - 1943 Coal and Wage Agreement, Centennial patch, Centennial shaving permit button, Centennial Brother of the Bush button, Centennial Cosmetic Permit, Centennial Belle button and a June 3,1958 Welch Daily News Centennial Edition. The headline read: “Welch Grows From Wilderness to Modern City”.

AWAITING THE OPENING - This anxious group is pictured surrounding the vault on the McDowell County Courthouse lawn that contained the time capsule that was buried there May17, 1958.   Shown are former Deputy Jackie Fredrick, Welch, who was present when the time capsule was buried 50 years ago; Chief Magistrate Martin West, County Commissioner Judy Cortellesi, County Commission President Gordon Lambert, an unidentified young man; (back row) McDowell County Prosecutor Sid Bell and Circuit Clerk Mike Brooks. (Photo by Cathy Patton)

THE CEREMONY – County Commission President Gordon Lambert and County Commission Public Relations Director Cathy Patton, pictured here, were among the more than 125 people who attended the time capsule ceremony at the McDowell County Courthouse. (Photo by Dwane Muncy)