>> Gary Walker: JUST AHEAD ON

"NEED TO KNOW," IT'S STAYED A

MYSTERY FOR 126 YEARS, BURIED

INSIDE THE STONE WALL OF THE

OLD CITY HALL.

IT WAS OPENED A YEAR AGO, AND

NOW ROCHESTER'S PAST IS ON

EXHIBIT FOR ROCHESTER'S

PRESENT.

WE'LL TELL YOU WHAT ELSE WAS

FOUND IN THE TIME CAPSULE AND

HOW THE 1873 TIME CAPSULE IS

PAVING THE WAY FOR THE YEAR

2034.

COMING UP NEXT, WE'LL TAKE A

LOOK AT THE PAST AND A LOOK AT

THE FUTURE.

IT'S ALL AHEAD ON "NEED TO

KNOW."

>> IF WE DON'T UNDERSTAND OUR

PAST, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THE

SAME MISTAKES.

WE CAN LEARN SO MUCH.

>> THIS IS "NEED TO KNOW," THE

ROCHESTER AREA'S ONLY IN-DEPTH

NEWS PROGRAM.

"NEED TO KNOW" IS A PRODUCTION

OF WXXI NEWS AND PUBLIC

AFFAIRS, COVERING ISSUES,

POLITICS, EDUCATION AND

CURRENT EVENTS.

>> "NEED TO KNOW" IS MADE

POSSIBLE BY THE DAISY MARQUIS

JONES FOUNDATION, BY DORSCHEL

LEXUS, AND THROUGH THE SUPPORT

OF VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

>> Gary Walker: THANK YOU FOR

JOINING US.

I'M GARY WALKER.

IT WAS A PIVOTAL TIME FOR

ROCHESTER.

THE YEAR WAS 1873, AND

ROCHESTER WAS CHANGING FROM

THE FLOUR CITY TO THE FLOWER

CITY.

BAUSCH & LOMB WAS BUILDING,

BUT EASTMAN KODAK WAS JUST A

PIPE-DREAM.

IT WAS A TIME TO REMEMBER AND

A TIME TO LOOK TO THE FUTURE,

AND IN 1873, THAT'S EXACTLY

WHAT ONE PROMINENT RESIDENT

HOPED FOR.

EDWIN SCRANTOM WROTE A LETTER

TO THE FUTURE MAYOR OF

ROCHESTER, ASKING HIM TO READ

THE LETTER AT HIS GRAVESIDE.

IN SEPTEMBER, MAYOR BILL

JOHNSON DID JUST THAT.

>> "...IN THE MIDST OF AN

ELEGANT CITY OF 70,000

INHABITANTS AND OVER, A FLOUR

CITY ON THE GENESEE, WHERE

FLOUR IS MADE; A FLOWER CITY,

ALSO, IN THE MIDST OF

NURSERIES AND FRUIT FIELDS OF

HUNDREDS OF ACRES, AND A CITY

OF MANUFACTURERS AND OF

EXTENSIVE TRADE.

I WAS A PRINTER AND A

PUBLISHER; AFTERWARDS, A

MERCHANT.

THE BOULEVARD ONTARIO, BUILT

IN THE LATTER PART OF THE 19th

CENTURY OUT TO CHARLOTTE

DOUBTLESS IN YOUR DAY WILL BE

LIKE THE CHAMPS-ELYSEES OF

PARIS OR THE HYDE PARK IN

LONDON.

>> Gary Walker: "NEED TO KNOW"

FOLLOWED THE OPENING OF THE

CAPSULE AND EXAMINED ITS

CONTENTS, BUT A LOT HAS

CHANGED IN A YEAR.

HERE'S WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING:

THE CAPSULE, A CUBIC-FOOT

COPPER BOX, WAS BURIED ON MAY

28th, 1873, IN A CORNERSTONE

OF THE CITY HALL BUILDING.

THE BOX WAS EXCAVATED

SEPTEMBER 11th, 1999, AND IT

WAS TAKEN TO THE ROCHESTER

MUSEUM AND SCIENCE CENTRE

WHERE THE CONTENTS WERE

CAREFULLY REMOVED AND ARE NOW

PRESERVED AND ON DISPLAY.

BUT BEFORE WE EMPTY OUT THE

CAPSULE'S CONTENTS, LET'S GO

BACK TO THE BEGINNING.

"NEED TO KNOW's" MATT CUMMINGS

HAS THE STORY.

>> IT WAS A CHILLY SPRING DAY

WHEN THIS CHILD OF ROCHESTER'S

PAST WAS FIRST CONCEIVED.

IN FACT, IT WAS MAY 28th,

1873, WHEN ROCHESTER'S

FOREFATHERS, UNDER THE

WATCHFUL EYES OF THOUSANDS OF

SPECTATORS, SENT A MESSAGE

ACROSS THE AGES TO THE PEOPLE

OF THE FUTURE.

>> HERE ARE TO BE DEPOSITED

THE RECORDS AND ARCHIVES OF

THE CITY'S HISTORY HERE MAINLY

SHAPED AND MOLDED.

>> A MESSAGE IN THE FORM OF A

COPPER BOX FULL OF ARTIFACTS,

A TIME CAPSULE.

>> IT WAS PUT BELOW THE

CORNERSTONE IN THE BUILDING OF

THE BUILDING, AND IT WAS

SEALED UP AT THAT TIME.

THE PROCESS WAS MOVING THE

CORNERSTONE ASIDE AND FINDING

THAT THE TIME CAPSULE WAS

ACTUALLY BELOW THE

CORNERSTONE.

MORE AND MORE OF IT WAS

REVEALED AND THEN FINALLY WE

REALIZED THAT WE COULD GET IT

OUT, AND THERE WE HAD A REAL

PIECE OF HISTORY ON OUR HANDS,

BUT IT WAS STILL A MYSTERY

UNTIL WE WERE GOING TO HAVE AN

OPPORTUNITY TO DIRECTLY

COMMUNICATE WITH THE PEOPLE

FROM THE PAST.

>> THAT COMMUNICATION WAS AS

EXACTING AND AS WELL PRESERVED

AS THE BOX WHICH HELD IT.

>> THE PEOPLE WHO PUT THIS

TOGETHER DID EVERYTHING RIGHT.

THEY DID A GREAT JOB OF MAKING

THIS TIME CAPSULE SO THAT IT

-- THERE WERE NO PERFORATIONS

IN IT AND SEALING IT UP, AND

THEN THE BOX WAS SLIGHTLY

HEATED WHEN THEY RAN THE BEAD

OF SOLDER AROUND IT, SO IT

MIGHT HAVE DRIED IT OUT A

LITTLE BIT MORE.

>> JUST AS THE PUBLIC

WITNESSED THE INCEPTION OF THE

TIME CAPSULE IN 1873, THEY

WERE PRESENT 126 YEARS LATER.

>> ONLY TWO SMALL BRIDGES OF

METAL ARE LEFT HOLDING THE TOP

IN PLACE.

>> ROCHESTER'S MAYOR,

DIGNITARIES, AND RELATIVES OF

THOSE WHO CONTRIBUTED THE

FIRST TIME AROUND WATCHED

BREATHLESSLY AS RALPH WIEGANDT

USED A FLEXIBLE SHAFT TOOL TO

OPEN THE BOX COMPLETELY.

>> LET US SEE...

WOW...

(Laughter)

OH, WELL!

(Applause)

I DIDN'T SCRIPT THAT PART.

>> IT WAS LIKE COLD CHILLS

WHEN HE TOOK THE LID OFF THE

BOX AND EVERYTHING WAS SO WELL

PRESERVED.

>> THE OPENED CAPSULE REVEALED

DOZENS OF ITEMS, CAREFULLY

PACKED, ALL BEARING MESSAGES

FROM THE PAST, WITH THE FIRST

WORDS ON TOP, A LETTER TO THE

ROCHESTER MAYOR OF 1999.

>> IT REALLY WAS ONE OF THOSE

ABSOLUTELY RARE MOMENTS, TO

KNOW THAT I WAS TOUCHING

SOMETHING, HANDLING SOMETHING

THAT WAS THAT OLD THAT HAD

BEEN PRESERVED IN SUCH PERFECT

CONDITION.

YOU KNOW, I JUST FELT THAT I

WAS BEING TRANSFERRED BACK

INTO TIME.

>> THEN WHAT WE COULD SEE WAS

A BOOK ALONG THE SIDE THAT HAS

A LEATHER BINDING, A VERY

BEAUTIFUL RED LEATHER BINDING

WITH GOLD INLAY, EMBOSSED

LETTERING, ALL IN PERFECT

CONDITION, AND THEN BELOW THE

LETTER, WE COULD SEE A

SEQUENCE OF PACKAGES THAT

SEEMED TO ALL BE SEALED AND

LABELED AND WRITTEN ON

INDIVIDUALLY, WHICH WE COULD

NOT SEE WITH THE BORESCOPE.

>> I KNOW THAT THE DAY THAT WE

WERE OUT THERE TAKING IT OUT

OF THE CORNERSTONE, WE KEPT

THINKING ABOUT WHAT THIS DAY

MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE IN 1873,

WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH THEIR

MINDS, AND THAT WAS REALLY,

REALLY QUITE WONDERFUL TO

PONDER.

THERE WAS A CONNECTEDNESS THAT

WE DON'T USUALLY GET, HUMAN TO

HUMAN.

>> Gary Walker: TRYING TO

INTERPRET THE MESSAGE LEFT

BEHIND IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT.

RALPH WIEGANDT, THE

CONSERVATOR FOR THE ROCHESTER

MUSEUM AND SCIENCE CENTRE, HAS

BEEN THERE ALL THE WAY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING.

I NOTICED YOU SMILING AS WE

REPLAYED THAT MOMENT WHEN YOU

OPENED THE BOX.

OF COURSE, YOU REMARKED IT WAS

A LOT OF FUN.

>> IT CERTAINLY WAS.

IT WAS ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS

-- HAS BEEN ONE OF THE

HIGHLIGHTS OF MY CAREER TO

HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO

DIRECTLY BE PART OF AN

INTENDED MESSAGE COMING ACROSS

TIME LIKE THAT.

OF COURSE, I DEAL WITH

HISTORICAL MATERIALS ALL THE

TIME, BUT THIS WAS A SPECIAL

MOMENTOUS OCCASION.

>> Gary Walker: IT SEEMS

FITTING BECAUSE IT WAS A BIG

MOMENT FOR THE HISTORY OF THE

CITY BUT ALSO A BIG MOMENT

PERSONALLY, HOW IT AFFECTED

YOU.

THIS BOX WAS PERFECTLY, JUST

PERFECTLY KEPT.

>> UM-HMM.

>> Gary Walker: SOME TIME

CAPSULES YOU OPEN UP AND IT'S

LIKE A PILE OF SLUSH, BUT THIS

CAPSULE IS PERFECT AND

ACTUALLY ONE OF THE BEST

AROUND EVER.

HAS THIS CREATED A BUZZ,

SPEAKING OF PERSONALLY, IN

YOUR OWN FIELD AROUND THE

COUNTRY?

>> WELL, PEOPLE HAVE CALLED

ABOUT IT AND WITH OUR WEB SITE

AND SUCH, BUT I DON'T THINK

THAT THE WORD IS OUT THERE

THAT MUCH THAT ROCHESTER HAS

PROBABLY THE FINEST EXAMPLE OF

PRESERVATION OF A 19th CENTURY

TIME CAPSULE, AND THAT'S PART

OF JUST LETTING THE EXPERIENCE

RESONATE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.

SO IT'S ACTIVE AND WE PLAN ON

CONVEYING THAT MESSAGE EVEN

MORE.

>> Gary Walker: THE LAST TIME

WE SPOKE, THERE WAS STILL MUCH

TO BE TAKEN OUT OF THE BOX AND

CAREFULLY AND PAINSTAKINGLY

OPENED AND DISPLAYED.

IS THAT PROCESS FINISHED NOW?

>> YES, IT IS.

OUR EXHIBIT, WHICH CAME

TOGETHER VERY RAPIDLY, DOES

ALLOW ALMOST ALL OF THE

OBJECTS THAT WERE IN THERE,

AND THAT IS 353 DISCRETE --

WHAT I CALL OBJECTS, PIECES OF

PAPER OR COMMUNICATIONS.

THE ONLY PIECES THAT ARE NOT

IN THE BOX, IN THE EXHIBIT,

ARE THE MANY, MANY MUSTER

ROLLS BECAUSE THERE'S A

COMPLETE LISTING OF ALL THE

MEN FROM ROCHESTER WHO SERVED

IN THE CIVIL WAR; WE HAVE A

REPRESENTATION, BUT THAT WAS A

VERY, VERY EXPANSIVE NUMBER

THAT WE COULDN'T PUT OUT IN

THE EXHIBIT IN ITS TOTALITY.

>> Gary Walker: BUT YOU DO

HAVE --

>> IT'S IN STORAGE AND PEOPLE

CAN HAVE ACCESS TO IT.

>> Gary Walker: TO A

LAYPERSON, A PERSON NOT

INVOLVED IN THIS, YOU WOULD

THINK IT'S COMING OUT OF THIS

LITTLE PERFECT, HERMETICALLY

SEALED ENVIRONMENT AND YOU

OPEN IT AND IMMEDIATELY IT'S

GOING TO ROT, DESTROY, DECAY.

HAS THERE BEEN ANY

DETERIORATION?

HOW DO YOU PREVENT THAT?

>> WELL, WHAT WE HAVE DONE

WITH THE EXHIBIT IS TRY TO

LIMIT THAT.

INSIDE THE BOX, IT HAD VERY

LIMITED ACCESS TO OXYGEN,

WHICH CAUSES DETERIORATION IN

MANY FORMS.

AND SO IT DID SORT OF PROVIDE,

AS YOU SAY, A HERMETICALLY

SEALED ENVIRONMENT.

BUT IN OUR EXHIBIT, WE TRIED

TO CREATE, AGAIN, AN ENCLOSED

ENVIRONMENT WITH SOME SPECIAL

MATERIALS KEPT IN THERE TO

KEEP THE ENVIRONMENT AS CLEAN

AS POSSIBLE AND OUT OF THE

LIGHTS BECAUSE THEY'RE IN

DRAWERS THAT YOU CAN PULL OUT

AND LOOK AT PROGRESSIVELY.

SO I WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT

SOME OF THE CONDITIONS THAT

PREVAILED INSIDE THE BOX ARE

NOW BEING MAINTAINED WITHIN

THEIR EXHIBIT ENVIRONMENT.

>> Gary Walker: SO YOU DON'T

REALLY NEED TO KEEP IT LIKE IN

A VACUUM OR ANYTHING, RIGHT?

IT CAN --

>> RIGHT.

IN GENERAL, I THINK WE'RE

DOING WELL BY ITS

PRESERVATION.

>> Gary Walker: WHAT'S THE

SHELF LIFE NOW THAT IT'S OUT?

IS THIS GOING TO BE AROUND

ANOTHER 100 YEARS, THIS

MATERIAL?

>> OH, SURE.

THE WONDERFUL PART OF THIS IS

THAT THE MATERIALS THAT WENT

IN THERE ARE GENERALLY HIGH

QUALITY.

PAPER-BASED MATERIALS HAVE

VERY LONG LONGEVITY IF THEY

WERE MADE WITH GOOD PAPER

STOCK, COTTON RAG PAPER AS

OPPOSED TO AN ACIDIC WOOD PULP

PAPER.

PRIOR TO 1873, MOST OF THE

PAPER, AND MOST OF THE PAPER

IN THIS BOX, WAS OF A

HIGH-QUALITY PAPER. AND PAPER

DOCUMENTS, IF THEY'RE

MAINTAINED IN A CLEAN

ENVIRONMENT, WILL LAST FOR

MANY HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS

OF YEARS.

>> Gary Walker: I CAN HEAR IN

YOUR VOICE A GREAT DEAL OF

RESPECT FOR THE PEOPLE WHO DID

THIS.

>> RIGHT.

THAT'S BEEN ONE OF THE

PLEASURES AS WELL, THE CARE

AND ATTENTION THAT WENT INTO

THE ASSEMBLING OF THIS BOX,

NOT ONLY THE MATERIALS BUT THE

WAY IT WAS PACKED.

YOU REALLY HAVE A SENSE OF

PEOPLE REALLY TRYING TO MAKE

SURE THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE

THERE IN THE FUTURE FOR US.

>> Gary Walker: Mr. WIEGANDT,

WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK AND

SPEAK WITH YOU AND A

REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CITY.

YOU HAVE TO STAND ON SOME

SHOULDERS HERE BECAUSE YOU'RE

ALSO ON A COMMITTEE TO FIGURE

OUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS

NEXT TIME CAPSULE.

THAT HAS TO BE A PRETTY HEADY

RESPONSIBILITY.

>> OH, IT CERTAINLY IS.

IT'S A VERY PROFOUND

RESPONSIBILITY.

NOT ONLY DO I FEEL THE WEIGHT

OF MAKING SURE THAT I CAN DO

AS GOOD A JOB AS THE PEOPLE

DID 126 YEARS AGO IN TERMS OF

PRESERVATION, BUT ALSO BEING

PART OF RESPONDING TO THIS

TIME CAPSULE AND NOT ONLY

HONOURING THE INTENT OF THE

PEOPLE THERE BUT THEN TRYING

TO MAYBE DO BETTER IN SOME

WAYS THAN THEY DID.

>> Gary Walker: WELL, WE

REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO THAT.

THERE'S A LOT MORE TO TALK

ABOUT.

WE WILL TALK MORE ABOUT THE

NEW TIME CAPSULE WHEN WE

RETURN.

RIGHT NOW, JENNIFER REED DIGS

THROUGH THE LAYERS OF THE OLD

TIME CAPSULE.

>> WE'RE REALLY EXTRACTING

THINGS THAT APPEAR TO BE VERY

MUCH LIKE THE CONDITION THEY

WERE IN THE DAY THEY WERE

PACKED.

>> IT'S A CAPSULE OF

INFORMATION, AND IF WE RETAIN

IT NOW, THEN IT'S SOMETHING

THAT WE WON'T BE ASKING DOWN

THE ROAD.

WE NEVER KNOW WHAT THE

QUESTIONS MAY BE, AND I THINK

TO REALLY ANALYZE THEM AND

UNDERSTAND WHAT THESE PEOPLE

MEANT WHEN THEY PACKED IT, THE

ORDER THEY PUT IT IN AND HOW

THEY SEQUENCED IT MIGHT HAVE

BEEN SIGNIFICANT.

IT MAY NOT BE, BUT WE CAN'T

AFFORD TO NOT KNOW.

>> THE FIRST OBJECT THAT

PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT IS THE

LETTER, THE DOCUMENT WHICH WAS

ON TOP.

IT SORT OF SETS THE MOMENT IN

TIME IN WHICH THIS WAS PUT

TOGETHER AND WHAT'S

INTERESTING IS IT SAYS,

"PRAISE GOD."

>> IT SEEMS THEY WANTED TO BE

VERY POSITIVE ABOUT LIFE AT

THAT TIME.

THIS WAS A TIME OF GREAT

DEPRESSION IN ROCHESTER, FROM

1873 TO ABOUT 1878.

>> THE CIVIL WAR HAD ENDED

ONLY EIGHT YEARS EARLIER AND

ROCHESTER'S ECONOMY WAS

STRUGGLING.

IT HAD BEEN KNOWN AS THE FLOUR

CITY BECAUSE IT SUPPLIED

GRAINS WORLDWIDE.

BUT THE END OF THE WAR ALSO

SIGNALLED AN END TO THE

TRADITIONAL IDEAS OF SUPPLY

AND DEMAND.

[continued in next column]

[continued from left column]

>> ROCHESTER AT THIS POINT WAS

BECOMING THE FLOWER CITY, AND

THAT WAS A MAJOR CHANGE FOR

ROCHESTER.

ROCHESTER EVEN IN 1873 WAS NOW

BEING LOOKED UPON BY PEOPLE

ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AS THE

CENTRE FOR VEGETABLE SEEDS,

FLOWER SEEDS AND GARDEN SEEDS,

AND SO THIS WAS A MAJOR THING,

WHICH STAYS WITH US TODAY

THROUGH THE LILAC FESTIVAL AND

ALL THOSE THINGS THAT

CELEBRATE ROCHESTER'S FLOWERS.

>> THIS IS THE BRIGG'S

BROTHERS ILLUSTRATED FLOWER

AND VEGETABLE SEED CATALOGUES.

THE ABSENCE OF LIGHT AND OTHER

AGENTS OF DETERIORATION HAVE

RETAINED THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

>> I HAVE NOT SEEN VOLUMES OF

THIS AGE IN THIS CONDITION.

AND THEN THERE'S A COUPLE OF

LETTERS THAT ARE SEALED AND

PART OF THE WAY WE'RE

PROCESSING THINGS IS WE'RE NOT

OPENING THESE YET.

THAT'S ANOTHER LEVEL OF ACCESS

WHERE WE HAVE TO CAREFULLY

SOFTEN THE GLUES AND OPEN THE

ENVELOPE.

THIS, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S IN

IT.

IT SAYS "DONATED, CITY HALL."

>> ALTHOUGH MOST OF THE

REMOVED ARTICLES ARE STILL

WRAPPED AND THEREFORE STILL A

MYSTERY, THE CAPSULE'S CONTENT

IS STAYING IN LINE WITH THE

1873 PUBLISHED NEWSPAPER LIST

OF THE DAY.

>> WE'RE APPROXIMATELY EIGHT

INCHES DOWN INTO THE BOX AND

WE'RE PROCEEDING AS IF THIS

WERE AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL

EXCAVATION.

>> IT'S BEEN A YEAR SINCE WE

LOOKED AT THE TIME CAPSULE.

A LOT HAS CHANGED.

EVERYTHING HAS SINCE BEEN

REMOVED FROM THE COPPER BOX.

THAT'S WHEN THEY DISCOVERED

SOME OF THE MOST INTERESTING

PIECES.

SO YOU TOOK THE TIME CAPSULE

CONTENTS AND YOU SORT OF BUILT

AN EXHIBIT AROUND IT?

>> THAT'S RIGHT, AND WE LET

THE TIME CAPSULE CONTENTS

REALLY GIVE US THE WAY TO TELL

THAT STORY.

SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE

IMPOSED UPON IT.

IT IMPOSED UPON US.

>> WE SAW QUITE A BIT LAST

YEAR, BUT WHY DON'T YOU SHOW

ME WHAT YOU FOUND INSIDE?

>> SURE.

I CAN ALSO SHOW YOU HOW WE PUT

THE EXHIBIT TOGETHER AS WELL.

AND SO WE TOOK A HIGH-QUALITY

FLAT FILE STORAGE SYSTEM AND

PUT IT IN A CENTRAL KIOSK SO

THAT YOU CAN OPEN THE FIRST

DRAWER AND YOU'LL FIND

ARTIFACTS THAT WERE AT THE TOP

OF THE BOX AS WE WENT DOWN

THROUGH IT.

ONE OF THE OBJECTS THAT TURNED

OUT TO BE A REALLY FORMATIVE

ONE IS A PARCHMENT PIECE THAT

WAS IN THE CITY COUNCIL MINUTE

BOOK, TALKS ABOUT THE

INSPECTORS OF ELECTION TO

ALLOW SUSAN B. ANTHONY TO VOTE

JUST IN NOVEMBER, THE PRIOR

YEAR BEFORE THE TIME CAPSULE

WAS INSTALLED, AND THAT THEY

WERE UNDER INDICTMENT AT THAT

VERY TIME.

FAIRLY FAR DOWN IN OUR

EXCAVATION OF THE BOX, WE CAME

ACROSS A LITTLE PAMPHLET THAT

WAS HANDWRITTEN, THE BYLAWS OF

THE WOMEN'S TAXPAYERS'

ASSOCIATION OF ROCHESTER, AND

PEOPLE KNEW THAT THIS EXISTED

BUT WHAT IT IS IS WITH SUSAN

B. ANTHONY BEING RECORDING

SECRETARY OF THIS GROUP, IT'S

A GROUP OF WOMEN THAT FORMED

UNDER THE IDEA THAT THEY WERE

BEING TAXED BUT THEY WEREN'T

REPRESENTED.

THAT'S A FAIRLY IMPORTANT

DOCUMENT THAT HAS THE LINKS TO

THE WOMEN'S SUFFERAGE

MOVEMENT.

ANOTHER PIECE THAT OBVIOUSLY

PEOPLE FELT WAS IMPORTANT WAS

THE IMPEACHMENT -- TICKET

ADMITTING THE BEARER OF THIS

TICKET TO THE IMPEACHMENT OF

PRESIDENT JOHNSON IN 1868 SO,

YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST ANOTHER

PIECE OF HISTORY THEY FELT

COMPELLED TO INCLUDE IN THE

TIME CAPSULE.

>> WHAT ARE SOME OF THE

SURPRISES THAT YOU MAY HAVE

FOUND IN THE CAPSULE?

>> WELL, THERE'S THE SURPRISE

THAT BECAME FAIRLY WELL KNOWN,

THAT -- FINDING A CONDOM IN

THE TIME CAPSULE.

AND THIS IS PIECE -- THERE'S

THE ENVELOPE AND THERE'S THE

CONDOM AND IT SAYS "NOT TO GO

IN."

IT'S LABELED "FOR THE PERSON

WHO OPENS THIS BOX," SO

SOMEBODY REJECTED IT AND YET

IT FOUND ITS WAY IN.

WE WERE SURPRISED AT THE

AMOUNT OF CONFEDERATE MONEY

THEY FELT COMPELLED TO PUT IN

THERE.

THERE'S ONE THAT REALLY MADE

US TAKE NOTICE, AND THAT'S ON

THE BACK OF THE $50

CONFEDERATE BILL.

THERE'S AN INSCRIPTION THAT

SAYS VERY FAINTLY, "TAKEN FROM

THE POCKET OF A DEAD REB BY

COLONEL JAMES MONTGOMERY OF

THE 34th REGIMENT AT THE

BATTLE OF SALKAHATCHIE, SOUTH

CAROLINA.

SO THAT REALLY PUTS IT INTO A

VERY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.

>> Gary Walker: SOME OF THE

THINGS WE WOULD EXPECT TO SEE

IN AN 1873 TIME CAPSULE WERE

NOT THERE, VERY LITTLE ON THE

ONGOING WOMEN'S RIGHTS

MOVEMENT AND THERE WAS NO COPY

OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS'S "NORTH

STAR."

JOINING ME ONCE AGAIN IN

STUDIO, RALPH WIEGANDT, THE

CONSERVATOR FOR THE ROCHESTER

MUSEUM AND SCIENCE CENTRE AND

DAN COPELAND, FROM THE CITY.

HE IS THE SPECIAL EVENTS

FACILITY MANAGER.

BOTH Mr. WIEGANDT AND

Mr. COPELAND ARE ON THE

COMMITTEE FOR CREATING A NEW

TIME CAPSULE FOR ROCHESTER'S

TRICENTENNIAL EVENT, 300th

ANNIVERSARY.

THAT TIME CAPSULE WILL BE

BURIED IN 2001.

GENTLEMEN, LET'S BEGIN WITH

THE IDEA THAT THE FOCUS HERE

THAT THERE WASN'T A COPY OF

"NORTH STAR," NOT MUCH ON

SUSAN B. ANTHONY, BUT I'M

WONDERING, DO YOU THINK IT WAS

THE POLITICS OF THE TIME, OR

WERE THESE THINGS JUST NOT

MAINSTREAM DO YOU THINK?

>> IT'S HARD TO MAKE THAT

DETERMINATION, BUT KNOWING

WHAT WAS IN THE TIME CAPSULE

OR WHAT WAS REVEALED AFTER WE

OPENED THE TIME CAPSULE, THE

MAYOR AT THE TIME AND THE

PEOPLE IN THAT COMMUNITY OF

ROCHESTER SOUGHT TO BE AS MUCH

INCLUSIVE AS POSSIBLE AS TO

WHAT WAS IMPORTANT TO THE

COMMUNITY AT THE TIME AND WHAT

THEY FELT THAT US BY OPENING

THIS BOX IN THE FUTURE WOULD

FIND.

SO THEY TRIED TO INCLUDE

EVERYTHING THEY THOUGHT WAS

MOST APPROPRIATE AND MOST

IMPORTANT.

>> Gary Walker: RIGHT.

SO MAYBE AT THE TIME

POLITICALLY, THEY DIDN'T THINK

THAT WAS GOING TO COME TO

MUCH, YOU KNOW.

I WAS SURPRISED PERSONALLY,

THOUGH, HOW LITTLE WAS

MENTIONED ABOUT THE CANAL, THE

ERIE CANAL, WHEN WE THINK OF

IT EVEN TODAY, THAT IT'S ON

THE MINDS OF EVERYBODY.

BACK THEN, IT WOULD SEEM THAT

SINCE THE CITY BASICALLY OWES

MUCH OF ITS GROWTH TO THE

CANAL THAT THERE WOULD BE A

LITTLE MORE MENTION OF WHAT

WAS HAPPENING WITH THAT.

ARE YOU SURPRISED BY THAT?

>> WELL, WHEN YOU SAY LITTLE

MENTION OF IT, THERE WAS NO

MENTION OF IT.

THERE'S NOT ONE REFERENCE THAT

WE COULD FIND OF THE EXISTENCE

OF THE ERIE CANAL.

>> Gary Walker: WHICH IS

EXTRAORDINARY.

>> GIVEN THE FACT THAT THE NEW

CITY HALL BACKED RIGHT UP ON

TO WHAT'S NOW BROAD STREET,

WAS THE CANAL... THAT'S ONE OF

THE MOST INTERESTING ASPECTS.

OUR INTERPRETATION OF THE BOX,

AS YOU SORT OF ELUDED TO, IS

WHAT'S NOT IN IT FROM OUR

VANTAGE POINT OF 126 YEARS OF

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT AS WELL

AS WHAT'S IN IT.

BUT THERE WAS A LOT OF MENTION

OF THE RAILROADS.

SO I GUESS THEY SORT OF SAW

WHERE HISTORY WAS GOING.

>> Gary Walker: WERE LOOKING

AHEAD.

BUT YOU THINK THEY WOULD HAVE

MENTIONED, "BY THE WAY, THE

CANAL IS OKAY."

>> IT PUT ROCHESTER ON THE

MAP.

>> Gary Walker: ABSOLUTELY.

THAT BRINGS UP AN INTERESTING

POINT.

BOTH YOU GENTLEMEN ARE SERVING

ON THE COMMITTEE ON WHAT'S

GOING TO COME IN THE NEXT TIME

CAPSULE.

DID YOU PICK UP ANYTHING ON

THE THINGS THAT WERE PUT IN OR

LEFT OUT, EITHER PURPOSELY OR

BY OVERSIGHT?

THAT'S GOT TO BE AFFECTING

WHAT YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT

INCLUDING IN THE NEXT TIME

CAPSULE.

>> IT'S A TASK, A HARD TASK.

WE HAVE SPENT MANY HOURS HERE

DISCUSSING WHAT SHOULD BE IN

THE TIME CAPSULE, AND IT'S A

CHALLENGE.

WE'RE TRYING TO BE AS MOST

INCLUSIVE AS POSSIBLE, TRYING

TO GET A BROAD CROSS-SECTION

OF THE COMMUNITY, SO WE CAN

INCLUDE AS MUCH AS -- OF

COURSE, WE HAVE LIMITATIONS ON

THE SIZE AND SHAPE OF THE

CUBE, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO PUT

AS MUCH INFORMATION AS

POSSIBLE INTO THIS CAPSULE FOR

THE FUTURE.

IT'S A DIFFICULT CHALLENGE.

>> Gary Walker: YOUR TIME

LINE, YOU WANT TO BURY IT IN

2001; IS THAT CORRECT?

>> WE'RE PLANNING NOW SOME

TIME IN MAY.

THE SPECIFIC DATE HASN'T BEEN

SET AT THIS POINT.

IT WILL OCCUR THIS MAY.

>> Gary Walker: IT SEEMS TO ME

-- WE WERE TALKING WITH RALPH

EARLIER ABOUT IT.

I IMAGINE THE WAY, HOW YOU DO

YOUR BUSINESS, THAT WHEN YOU

LAID OUT THIS DISPLAY -- I

MEAN THERE HAD TO BE SOME

SCIENCE, SOME, YOU KNOW,

PATTERN BEHIND IT, AND I'M

WONDERING, DOES THAT TAKE A

LITTLE TIME TO LOOK AT THAT,

LIVE WITH IT, FIGURE IT OUT

AND THINK ABOUT IT BEFORE YOU

CAN SAY, "THIS IS WHAT WE'RE

DOING FOR THE NEXT ONE"?

HAS ENOUGH TIME ELAPSED TO

TAKE IN THIS TIME CAPSULE

BEFORE WE MAKE ANOTHER ONE?

>> IT'S BEEN ABOUT A YEAR.

HAS THERE BEEN ENOUGH TIME?

MYSELF PERSONALLY, I EXPECT

THERE HAS BEEN, TO SOME POINT.

I FEEL, FIRST OF ALL,

FORTUNATE TO BE A MEMBER OF

THE COMMITTEE THAT DOES DECIDE

FOR THE FUTURE, AND FROM SOME

OF THE OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY

I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN, THIS

IS ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING

OPPORTUNITIES I HAVE HAD IN MY

CAREER WITH THE CITY.

WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH TIME, I

THINK, TO REALLY DECIDE WHAT

SHOULD BE THERE,

ALTHOUGH MAYBE NOT.

BUT THE EFFORTS OF THE

COMMITTEE MEMBERS, THE

ROCHESTER MUSEUM SCIENCE

CENTRE, WXXI, WITH OUR

COLLABORATIVE INPUT, HAVE

TRIED TO MAKE THE BEST EFFORT

POSSIBLE, AND WE'RE LOOKING

FOR INSIGHT; WE'RE LOOKING FOR

THE COMMUNITY TO PARTICIPATE

IN THIS.

IT'S NOT JUST OUR DECISION BUT

THE COMMUNITY'S DECISION.

>> Gary Walker: TALK TO ME

ABOUT THE PROCESS.

HOW DO YOU ENSURE DIVERSITY?

HOW DO YOU GO OUT AND ENGAGE

PEOPLE WITHOUT BEING BURIED

BY, "HEY, I FOUND THIS IN MY

ATTIC; PUT IT IN THE CUBE"?

HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT THE

PROCESS OF IT?

>> DO YOU WANT TO TAKE THAT

ONE, DAN?

>> WELL, WE HAVE WORKED OUT A

SORT OF THREE-LEVEL PROCESS.

ONE IS THAT WE'RE HONOURING

SOME OF THE CONTINUAL THEMES

THAT WERE IN THE ORIGINAL BOX

THAT HAVE MORE TO DO WITH THE

STRUCTURE OF THE COMMUNITY

FROM A GOVERNMENTAL

STANDPOINT.

BUT THEN WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS

IDENTIFY SOME 20 THEMES OF

WHAT REALLY DESCRIBES

ROCHESTER OF TODAY AND WHO ARE

THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN

FORMATIVE ON THAT IN

ENTERTAINMENT, IN BUSINESS, IN

NON-PROFITS, JUST SORT OF

TRYING TO GET THAT BROAD

CROSS-SECTION, AND THAT'S

STILL A RELATIVELY FORMAL

PROCESS.

THEN WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS TO

HAVE THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY

SPEAK TO THIS AND WE'VE --

WE'RE ANTICIPATING, OBVIOUSLY,

ONE CUBIC FOOT SINCE WE'RE

REUSING THE SAME SPACE, IS A

LIMITATION.

BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO, IN THE

FORM OF A LOTTERY MECHANISM,

ALLOW EVERYBODY, EVERY MAN,

EVERY WOMAN IN THE CITY TO

HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SUBMIT

TO THE BOX AND THAT WILL BE

DIVERSE INSOFAR AS WHOEVER

GETS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SUBMIT

A WRITTEN STATEMENT -- WE'RE

NOT ACCEPTING

THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS, "MY

FAVOURITE SNEAKER" KIND OF

THING, BUT WHAT WE ARE DOING

IS ASKING, MORE OR LESS, A

LETTER TO THE FUTURE, A

RESPONSE OF WHAT DOES IT MEAN

TO TRY TO COMMUNICATE ACROSS

100 YEARS, ET CETERA.

>> Gary Walker: SO AFTER ALL

THIS TIME, PAPER WILL BE THE

PREFERRED MEDIUM BECAUSE OUR

COMPUTER DISKS AND VIDEOTAPES

ARE JUST NOT GOING TO CUT IT

FOR THAT LENGTH OF TIME.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> Gary Walker: EXTRAORDINARY.

QUICKLY, WHEN DOES THIS ALL

BEGIN?

WHEN CAN PEOPLE START GETTING

EXCITED AND START WRITING

THEIR LETTERS AND HOPING TO

WIN THE LOTTERY?

>> WE HAVE BEGUN.

THE MAYOR HAS SENT A LETTER TO

A CROSS-SECTION OF THE

ROCHESTER COMMUNITY AND A

RESPONSE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE

-- IN SUBMISSIONS FOR THE

CAPSULE HAS BEEN ASKED FOR,

AND THE DEADLINE FOR THAT

RESPONSE FROM THE MAYOR IS

SHORTLY.

BUT CONTINUING ON WITH THAT,

WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH TO TWO

MONTHS, WE'RE GOING TO BE

ASKING THE COMMUNITY, AS RALPH

MENTIONED, ASKING THE

COMMUNITY ITSELF TO MAKE THEIR

SUBMISSIONS.

AND, OF COURSE, WHEN ANYONE

VISITS THE DISPLAY FOR THE

CURRENT TIME CAPSULE AT THE

MUSEUM AND SCIENCE CENTRE,

THERE HAS BEEN A SUGGESTION

BOX THERE AND WE HAVE BEEN --

WE HAVE ALL KINDS OF

SUGGESTIONS THERE.

SO WE ARE LOOKING THERE.

>> Gary Walker: WE HAVE TIME

FOR ONE QUICK QUESTION AND

THAT IS ANYTHING FROM THE OLD

TIME CAPSULE GOING INTO THE

NEW TIME CAPSULE?

>> YES, WE ARE.

WE'RE GOING TO INCLUDE --

WELL, I'LL LET RALPH ANSWER ON

THIS JUST TO BE SURE.

>> WELL, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT

THAT.

I DON'T THINK WE HAVE REALLY

IRONED OUT EXACTLY WHAT THE

SORT OF FEED IS GOING TO BE,

BUT IT'S UNDER DISCUSSION.

STAY TUNED ON THAT ONE.

>> Gary Walker: GENTLEMEN, I

ENVY BOTH OF YOU.

IT SOUNDS LIKE JUST A WHOLE

LOT OF FUN.

IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION

ABOUT THE TIME CAPSULE, TAKE A

LOOK AT

WWW.ROCHESTERTIMECAPSULE.COM.

THE SITE IS A COLLABORATIVE

EFFORT BETWEEN THE CITY OF

ROCHESTER, THE ROCHESTER

MUSEUM AND SCIENCE CENTRE,

"THE DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE,"

AS WELL AS WXXI.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

HAVE A HAPPY AND SAFE NEW

YEAR.

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