The City of Buffalo, along with The Buffalo History Museum and The Buffalo Arts Commission, have announced the contents of a time capsule that was recently dug up by contractor Mark Cerrone’s team on the 500 block of Main Street in Downtown Buffalo (see back story). It turns out that the capsule dated back all the way to 1920 – the same year that “The Hiker,” a Spanish-American war monument, was dedicated.

“The time capsule shows a glimpse into the past,” said Mayor Brown, noting that the time capsule was found during the redevelopment of the city’s effort to return two-way traffic to downtown Buffalo. “While Buffalo is on the move, with over $4.3 billion in new economic development activity underway, a piece of Buffalo’s history is being revealed. It’s interesting to see what city residents in 1920 thought would be interesting and important to us.”

Included in the time capsule were:

An American flag

Front pages of newspapers, each dated May 29, 1920

A Commemorative Program of the Dedication Ceremony

First Annual Report City Planning Committee

The Booklet, The Hiker

“The Hiker (New York City sculptor Allen G. Newman 1875-1940) stood in contemplation for over eight decades, his parcel kept secret and specifically left for us to unveil,” stated Executive Director Melissa Brown. “The Buffalo History Museum understands how time capsules intrigue and capture the imagination. We nurture curiosity through the 300,000 artifacts we safely keep and share.”

Professional conservators from the Buffalo State College Art Conservation Department first took a look at the contents before the salvageable items were delivered to the history museum. The plan is to take the original contents, add some items from 2014, and put them back into another time capsule (the first time capsule was damaged and the contents were not in good shape), upon which time they will be returned to the exact spot where they were dug up… maybe to be rediscovered some day when Main Street is returned back to a carless pedestrian thoroughfare with lightrail.

Photo: Mayor Byron Brown, along with DPW Commissioner Steve Stepniak, The Buffalo History Museum Executive Director Melissa Brown, Catherine Gillespie of the Buffalo Arts Commission and others, revealed the contents today of a time capsule, dating back to May 15, 1920.