WWI Museum unveils artifacts from 100-year-old time capsule

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- One hundred years ago, as Kansas City's Liberty Memorial was being constructed, a metal box containing 20th-century documents and artifacts was placed and sealed within the walls of the monument.

On Wednesday morning, Oct. 16, 2024, all of those historic contents were unveiled.

In November 1924, the time capsule was buried inside the memorial's cornerstone during a ceremonial celebration with over 100,000 of Kansas Citians on its front lawn.

At the ceremony, they listened to patriotic marches, watched doves fly in honor of the lives lost in the war, and honored five Allied commanders who read speeches and dedicated the site of the Liberty Memorial.

Now, a century later, crews began excavating the time capsule, slowly chipping away at the tower walls. After a few weeks, it was unsealed and members of the WWI Museum's Curatorial Affairs began their deep dive into the city's and country's rich history.

Historians were amazed when they discovered that each document and artifact had stayed in pristine condition, still wrapped in its original paper with no signs of mold or damage.

According to the memorial, many items inside the capsule have been known for years because of an inventory list given to the site historians. Fifteen items were said to be on this list, including newspapers, a bible, medals, pictures, a copy of the U.S. Constitution, and proclamations from world leaders.

However, stories of other unknown and unverified items have also been rumored and passed down through the generations. But on Wednesday, some of these artifacts were confirmed in the untombing of the capsule.

One item, in particular, was a periodical from the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. The book contained information and facts about Kansas City from 100 years ago with details about how the city was the center of the richest agricultural lands in the world, and how it was the 10th largest manufacturing city in the U.S.

The Curatorial Affairs staff also found names scratched on the inside of the copper capsule. The team believes that the names are of people involved in the creation of the box itself.

According to Chief Curator Warren, simply removing the wrappings on each artifact took a total of eight hours, proving that the process of preservation is quite tedious. However, all this hard work and effort allows for Kansas City's history to remain prevalent in the community and for the world to see.

All the artifacts will be put on display in the museum, and according to the WWI Museum's website, a time capsule of this very generation will also be buried in the walls of the structure in 2026.

If you want to submit some ideas of items you think should be in the capsule, click here.