Nearly 50 years after it was buried during the nation’s Bicentennial celebration, a long-forgotten time capsule tucked into the ground in Warren is set to be unearthed – mud, mystery and all.
The capsule was buried on July 4, 1976, as part of Warren’s Fourth of July parade, carried on a float from Prickly Mountain, according to Warren architect Jim Sanford who participated in that float and the burial.
Now, as the town prepares for another Independence Day celebration, the Warren Historical Society plans to dig it up, preserve what it can and share the results with the community, according to historical society president Jim Crafts.
“We’ve been talking to a couple of people who were there,” Crafts said. “That’s where we got the caution that it may be a sodden mess – or it might have something fun or interesting in it.”
Town officials raised the idea of recovering the capsule during a recent select board meeting, with the understanding that its contents may be damaged after decades underground. The historical society has agreed to oversee the process, including excavation, conservation, and eventual display.
Plans are still taking shape, Crafts said, but the society is leaning toward digging up the capsule in late May or early June, ahead of the busy Fourth of July season.
“We’d like to get in there before the madness descends on the town,” he said. “Dig it, move it someplace, process the contents and then get it ready for display.”
One possible venue for the display is the Blair Barn, near the town offices in Warren Village, where residents and visitors could view the capsule itself and whatever artifacts survive – even if that means looking at little more than historic mud.
Beyond curiosity about what the 1976 parade participants left behind, the project has sparked excitement about what comes next: replacing the original capsule with a new one that reflects Warren today.
“That’s the fun part,” Crafts said. “What are we going to replace it with?”
The historical society is reaching out to community partners, including the Warren Public Library and the local school, with the hope of making the new capsule a collaborative effort. Crafts said involving children is especially important.
“We really want some kids burying cool things,” he said. “Whoever else wants to be involved is fine, but we want the school involved.”
There is also interest in reconnecting with people who helped create the original capsule nearly five decades ago.
“It’d be nice if we can grab some of the participants from the first one and let them go once more into the breach,” Crafts said.
“Let’s see what’s there,” Crafts said, “and then do something really cool to replace it.”
While no firm decisions have been made about the contents or the container for the new capsule, Crafts said the goal is to create something “just as cool” as the original, shaped by ideas from across the community.
Residents who want to suggest items, themes or container ideas can contact the Warren Historical Society by email at
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