Opening Of 89-Year-Old California Time Capsule Spurs Shocking Discovery

A copper box was removed from a concrete vault inside of the Mount Davidson Cross in San Francisco on Saturday, and historians could not believe what they had just discovered. According to SF Gate, the time capsule was placed inside of the cross in 1934, and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was there to see it all happen. Event organizers expected to see two biblical items when they opened the box, but what they saw surprised them. San Francisco Historical Society member Gabi Moreta was first to see inside of the capsule.

“When they opened it, I was completely unprepared. I was like ‘oh, there’s so much stuff in here.’ And it’s hard to tell especially what’s left in here, how much of it was purposely put in there or if it was just used for, like, getting things nice and not moving.” Among the contents were a pastor's business card, telephone books, an olive branch from Jerusalem, and crumpled newspapers. What was expected to be just a few items, turned out to be nearly 40 items!

SF Gate mentioned that the most surprising part of opening the time capsule was not the items themselves, but the condition of the items. Despite their age, the items were in amazing condition. Colors of comics and business records all appeared to keep their vibrance. The only item that was not in good condition was a 175-year-old bible used at the start of the Gold Rush.