Published on August 25, 2020
An amazing find! Construction workers discovered a small time capsule in the 1911 cornerstone of the Irene B. French Community Center.
Denton Excavating crews were removing the cornerstone for preservation when they made the discovery.
No gold inside the capsule, but contents did include a “Laws Relating to the Common Schools of Kansas” pamphlet from 1909, a roll call list of those present when setting the cornerstone, and several signatures of students and other Merriam residents, including descendants of Merriam’s former founder, David Gee Campbell.
The City will save these artifacts and determine how to best showcase this piece of Merriam’s history.