From Staff Reports 

A 100-year time capsule was sealed into an empty cavity in the base of the Vance Monument on Sept. 18 in downtown Asheville, as a crowd gathered for the installation.

A 118-year-old time capsule, which recently was removed from the monument’s base, contained relics representing Asheville and its residents.

The 1897 time capsule had been forgetten until researchers found a newspaper article about it. (To avoid anyone overlooking the 2015 time capsule, the city has created a plaque to mark its place and when it should be opened.)

And, unlike the 1897 capsule, the new one is made of stainless steel, custom-built to fit into the cavity and is expected to repel water better than its predecessor. It is about the size of a shoebox.

The 1897 capsule, opened on March 12, contained newspaper clips, a Bible, school honor rolls, coins and more. The paper items were water-damaged, but in relatively good condition.

Most items from the 1897 capsule are now on display at the Western Regional Archives, 176 Riceville Road — though coins from the original capsule were placed into the newer package, to spend another 100 years entombed in the monument.

The 2015 capsule contains newspapers, playbills, bumper stickers touting the importace of local food, beer labels, beer caps, tonurism guides, law enforcement badges, photographs of Pack Square and downtown, the names and signatures of 1,000 Asheville residents and other mementos from this year.

The City of Asheville and Buncombe County wrote a letter to future Ashevillelians,  beginning: “We hope you enjoy this glimpse into our world.”

Following a speech by City Councilman Jan Davis, the capsule was sealed, handed off and placed under the monument’s cornerstone, where it will remain until 2115.

Regarding the 2015 time capsule, Debbie Ivester of the city’s parks and recreation department told local news media recently that “the idea was to give a good snapshot of what the Asheville community is like today and to show that diversity and mix. None of us will be able to sit down and have the conversation with them” in 2115, “so how will we be able to visually communicate what life was like?”

The city and county committed to 14 categories in which to source materials for the capsule, including business, industry, current events,food, heritage and arts, demogaphics, diversity and special events. 

Besides emphasizing photos of Pack Square in particular and downtown in general, the beer industry was well-represented because it is one of the defining characteristics of present-day Asheville, officials said.

In addition, the 2015 capsule includes pamphlets about Zebulon Vance, former two-time governor, for whom the monument was named — and coins from the 1897 capsule.