January 23, 2007
An Interesting Time Capsule
50 years ago, as part of a time capsule, they buried a 1957 Plymouth. It is going to be unearthed in June.
Article here:
Buried Car To Be Unearthed In June
TULSA, Okla. -- It's a brand new 1957 Plymouth Belvedere. Or at least it was new when it was buried under the lawn of the Tulsa County, Okla, Courthouse in 1957.
That Plymouth will be dug up in June, as part of the Oklahoma Centennial and no one is sure what to expect.
The old Plymouth could be in cherry condition and worth thousands. Or, it might be just a pile of rust.
The buried Plymouth was largely forgotten until Sharon King Davis found some old snapshots of her grandfather helping to bury the car. She's one of the organizers of Tulsa's centennial celebration.
She told the Tulsa World she just wishes grandpa left some directions about the old car.
"There's a kind of Rip Van Winkle reaction," Davis told the paper. "Most people had long ago forgotten the buried car but as the time to dig it up nears, they are waking up and wondering about life in 1957."
According to the Web site buriedcar.com, the car was seen as a method of acquainting twenty-first century citizens with a suitable representation of 1957 civilization.
According to event chairman Lewis Roberts Jr., the Plymouth was chosen because it was "an advanced product of American industrial ingenuity with the kind of lasting appeal that will still be in style 50 years from now."
The contents of a women's purse, including bobby pins, a bottle of tranquilizers, cigarettes and an unpaid parking ticket, were added to the glove compartment of the car shortly before burial.
Other items included in the time capsule were:
* 10 gallons of gasoline and 5 quarts of oil.
* A Douglas Aircraft Co. aerial map of airport facilities and legend.
* Statement from Tulsa council of Churches and prayer for greatest good next 50 years a recently completed history of churches in Tulsa and a directory of the present churches.
* Statement from board of education -- historical data related to 50 years of education in Tulsa and copies of "School Life" all-high school publication issued by Tulsa high schools each month.
* Statements from Mayor and Chamber of Commerce officials.
* Flags which have been flown over the national capitol, state capitol and in the county and city.
* Other aerial photos of the area.
* Statement from Tulsa Trades and Labor Council.
* Statements from all former mayors of the city -- their record of service and civic accomplishments in the city, state and nationally.
Posted by Valkyre at January 23, 2007 11:04 PM