Stories from a quarter of a century past now on display in Monessen
Mark Hofmann/For the Observer-Reporter
Dan Zyglowicz, president of the Greater Monessen Historical Society and chairman of the Monessen 125th Committee, places a sash for the Little Miss Monessen Centennial from 1998. The sash was one of many items taken from a 25-year-old time capsule unearthed on Saturday. Items from inside were put on display at the historical society.
Mark Hofmann/For the Observer-Reporter
Shirts and other clothing items were taken from a time capsule buried 25 years ago in Monessen.
Mark Hofmann/For the Observer-Reporter
Photographs and letters were found in the 25-year-old time capsule that was unearthed in Monessen on Saturday.
Photos: Mark Hofmann/For the Observer-Reporter
Dan Zyglowicz, president of the Greater Monessen Historical Society and chairman of the Monessen 125th Committee, looks over various items taken from a 25-year-old time capsule that was unearthed on Saturday.
Photos, clothing and other items reminiscent of Monessen circa 1998 are now on display at the city’s historical society.
A time capsule, buried to commemorate the city’s centennial, was opened Saturday in celebration of the Monessen’s 125th anniversary. In its place, a new one will be buried, to be opened when the city marks 150 years in 2048.
Dan Zyglowicz, president of the Greater Monessen Historical Society and chairman of the Monessen 125th Committee, said the 100th anniversary capsule was buried in Monessen City Park in September 1998.
“Unfortunately, water had gotten into the vault, and some items were very waterlogged or destroyed,” Zyglowicz said.
He added that there were “hundreds” of items placed in the 100th anniversary time capsule – things like business cards, photos, papers, clothing, toys, letters from families, a scrapbook from Monessen High School and memorabilia from the centennial celebration.
Items that were just a bit damp were placed on display at the historical society, while the waterlogged or damaged items went into the freezer on the advice of Julia McGinnis, the archives and collection management librarian and an associate professor at PennWest California.
Zyglowicz explained that McGinnis was a consultant working with the restoration efforts for libraries and archived items in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, and would be able to tell historical society members what measures it would take to restore the items, and how much it would cost to do so.
“If you put something in the capsule, and you don’t see it on display, it is probably frozen at this time,” Zyglowicz said.
Unfortunately, he said, no one was able to find a list of exactly what was buried 25 years ago.
Delmar Hepple, Monessen’s municipal fire chief, dug up the time capsule. He said they’re exploring options for a bigger and better time capsule that will help avoid issues with condensation and water seeping into the vessel.
City Mayor Ron Mozer said the capsule opening offered residents an opportunity to both take a look into the past, and plan for what they want people to know when the new capsule is opened in 2048.
“Monessen will be different,” he said. “It’s different than it was 25 years ago; it will be different 25 years from now.”
Zyglowicz said folks can donate items to be placed in the 150th anniversary time capsule through late October by dropping them off at the Greater Monessen Historical Society, 505 Donner Ave., or the Monessen Public Library, 326 Donner Ave. City officials plan to bury the new time capsule sometime in November.
Meanwhile, the newly unearthed items will remain on the society’s display table for the public to view until late October.
For more information, visit the Greater Monessen Historical Society’s website at monessenhistoricalsociety.com/ or visit their Facebook page.