J.R. Burleson, left, and Cruz Burleson use a metal detector while searching for Water Valley’s Bicentennial time capsule near City Hall.
WATER VALLEY – Organizers of Water Valley’s Bicentennial time capsule project believe they have located the capsule buried near City Hall nearly 50 years ago.
J.R. Burleson and Cruz Burleson of Odd Fellows Lodge No. 82 recently used metal detectors, probes and shovels to search for the capsule. A tip from City Clerk Vivian Snider helped narrow the search area, and the group believes the capsule may be located beneath a large concrete slab that was apparently placed on top of it during the original burial. The Water Valley Street Department is expected to use a backhoe Friday morning to help remove the concrete and confirm the location.
Community members are invited to attend the official exhumation ceremony at 11 a.m. on July 4 at City Hall. The capsule was buried during a July 4, 1977 ceremony and contains documents, photographs and other items intended to preserve a snapshot of life in Water Valley during the nation’s Bicentennial celebration. After the capsule is opened, its contents will be displayed at the Casey Jones Railroad Museum before being reassembled and reburied on Labor Day for another 50 years.
