Orland preserves history in ground > Time capsules mark town’s bicentennial

ORLAND – A small group of residents gathered Saturday morning at Bicentennial Park to bury four time capsules, the final event of the town’s yearlong bicentennial celebration.

Among those attending the ceremony were several local youngsters, including Ginny Marston, 10, a 10th-generation descendant of Samuel Soper, the fourth settler in Orland.

The youngsters plan to be around in 50 years when the time capsules are opened.

The time capsules, four plastic buckets, contained items collected from town organizations, clubs and businesses. Sue Jellison, Pam Hutchins, Pam Haseltine and Cindy Wood gathered the items.

Those objects include books from the historical society about the history of the town and a list of area businesses, along with some business cards and an old ribbon from the local Grange.

Jellison said the time capsules also contain documents, including a copy of the original incorporation papers for the town, copies of letters from state officials received during the bicentennial year, and a copy of the 2000 town report.

Also placed in the time capsules were articles from the bicentennial celebration, such as tickets from the bicentennial play and recipes from the cake contest and tea party.

Copies of newspaper headlines that appeared after last Tuesday’s elections were last-minute additions to the capsules.

Selectman Wayne Ames presided over Saturday’s brief ceremony and lowered the four capsules into the ground. They will be stored in a concrete catch basin that was sealed against water. All the items were placed in a series of plastic bags to further protect against water damage.

A metal sewer plate, providing a secure seal, covered the time capsules’ new home, and then, those in attendance helped cover it with dirt.

A granite stone topped by a bronze marker will mark the site in the park, which was created as a local Boy Scout project for the bicentennial. The marker reads “Orland Bicentennial Time Capsule Open in 2050.”