GLENDALE, AZ (AZFamily) — A piece of Glendale’s past was uncovered during renovations at City Hall: a time capsule dating back nearly 40 years.
City officials said the capsule was discovered as crews prepared the City Hall site for construction and demolition as part of a three-year renovation project that ended in the ribbon-cutting Thursday, the city’s 116th anniversary of incorporation.
The time capsule was dated June 18, 1985, when Glendale marked its 75th anniversary. City officials opened it a couple of months ago at Centennial Elementary School, joined by the person who served as Glendale’s mayor at the time.
Inside, officials found items that captured what the city looked like in the mid-1980s, including an old phone book, a VHS tape, letters from school children about what they loved about Glendale, items from local schools and street maps showing the city’s layout.
City managers said the capsule also had a strong smell, similar to formaldehyde, when it was opened.
Now, Glendale is preparing a new time capsule to give future residents a snapshot of the city today. The new capsule includes memorabilia from the Arizona Cardinals, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox spring training teams and a friendship bracelet connected to Taylor Swift, whose world tour kicked off in Glendale.
The capsule also includes a copper ingot made by AZ-250. Officials said only two were made: one for Glendale’s time capsule and another for the America 250 time capsule in Washington, D.C., to represent Arizona.
The new capsule is expected to be opened decades from now as Glendale marks another major milestone.
A free public celebration is scheduled for Saturday from 4 to 9:30 p.m. at Murphy Park, featuring activities, live music and food.
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