One hundred years ago a time capsule was sealed at the then Washington High School and Tuesday it was opened in honor of the building’s centennial year.

The brick building now serves the school district as the middle school. Teacher Angie Shrader shares she learned there was a time capsule while researching the school ahead of the alumni basketball game. They checked the front stairs of the building for the capsule. Then an article said it was in the southeast corner, however it was found in the northeast corner in the capstone that reads 1918.

The sealed copper box was opened in a school-wide assembly. Local historians Michael Zahs and Mike Kramme unveiled multiple newspapers from 1918, coins from 1918, and handbooks and rosters from the school at that time. Principal Curt Mayer remarked on the event, “Just truly amazing the condition that it is in, and just for them to read some time and history and the culture back then in 1918, and the significance of it to us. I don’t think our kids realize how significant some of those things are.” Articles printed on the front pages of the newspapers provided updates on World War I, the Great War. Mayer said it’s yet to be determined if a new time capsule will be put together and sealed.