Together with the local business, the time capsule’s wall was opened

Ogden, Utah – A century-old time capsule was revealed at Ogden’s Union Station on Friday, bringing more than a century of Ogden history to life.

When the new Ogden Union Station was being built in 1924, the time capsule—a copper box—was first buried in the building’s cornerstone.

The location of the time capsule was deliberate. The cornerstone, the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, has a copper box embedded in it deliberately.

Then, every additional stone is positioned around that particular cornerstone.

“So there are old drawings, old plans, and they assumed there was going to be a capsule in this specific stone because it’s carved and has the dates on it,” said Kevin Hadfield, president of Artisan Masonry Restoration.

The local company helped open up the wall to the time capsule.

“And then they took x-rays of the building and found exactly where it was at. And they knew that this capsule was inside there,” he said. “So we opened up the area above it, and discovered the metal box and then they pull the box out.”

The tin box was opened by a coppersmith in front of hundreds of visitors eager to see the contents.

Inside there were letters, newspaper clippings, an invitation to the original cornerstone ceremony of Union Station, a timetable for the trains, a pamphlet with tips on where to travel in Salt Lake and there was even a brochure to the original Lagoon.

For longtime Ogden resident Sarah McClellan, the event was a chance to honor her family who had a long history with Union Station.

“I’m excited about the event because a lot of my family members worked here,” McClellan said. “One worked as a chef, the other one as a waiter and a porter. And so I have a long history with the Union Station, because of my family and the work history they have.

The cornerstone where the capsule was located has now been covered up to prevent vandalism and damage to the building.

But according to Hadfield, the cornerstone will once again be opened in the fall so a new time capsule will be placed with contents from this era.