On Tuesday afternoon, a time capsule was laid to rest across from the Superior Watershed Partnership offices, containing items collected from community members over the past few months so they can be dug up again and cherished in 25 years time.

“We(‘ve) got everything from major world events, talking about the September 11 (attacks,) the stock market crash in 2008 (and) housing bubble. We (have) information about the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of responses to that. We did a lot of community events and everything that happened to Marquette in the past 25 years as well,” said Andrew MacIver, Assistant Director of Community Services for the city. “The Dead River flood, the train trestle coming down, all of the roundabouts going in, just all of this information. It’s going to be a tangible, physical item that people are actually able to see in a hole in 25 years.”

The city recently dug up another 25-year time capsule, first buried in the same spot in 1999 and uncovered last year in 2024. While he wasn’t there for the unveiling of that time capsule, MacIver explained how it’s incredible to see how much Marquette has changed in the past 25 years.

“All of these pictures that we have, we’ve got a lot of pictures of people and places from around Marquette. Some things have changed a lot, even (in the) last 25 years (compared to) what they look like now, like pictures of the shoreline. It looks completely different even 10 years ago,” MacIver explained. “It could look completely different in 25 years, so I think it’s going to bring back a lot of memories that the people are going to be really surprised with some of the contents.”

From left, Michael Potts of the city Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, Assistant Director of Community Services Andrew MacIver, City Manager Karen Kovacs, and Marquette City Mayor Jessica Hanley attend the burial of the city’s 2025 time capsule in Presque Isle Park on Tuesday. (Journal photo by Abby LaForest)

Some of the items donated to this year’s time capsule include memorabilia for special events in the city, such as pucks from the annual Pigs-N-Heat hockey game, and advertisements and prices for local goods and services such as hotel rooms, housing and grocery stores. A six-pack of beer from Blackrocks Brewery also made its way into the mix, though it’s highly unlikely that it will still be safe to drink in 2050.

With the progression of the internet and social media making leaps and bounds compared to when the first capsule was buried in 1999, MacIver said that having physical items to comb through when the next capsule is open in 2050 will be a sort of novelty, especially if technology continues to progress at the speed that it has.

“I think a lot of this is going to be tangible, physical items again, and people are going to be able to see the world from this timeframe,” MacIver said. “It’s our perspective at this very time, so people will see this stuff (and) they’re going to see our perspective, (what) we’re dealing (with) at this time. I think that’s the most important part of it…there’s a lot of newspaper clippings, event posters, all the stuff that will evoke memories but also help preserve a lot of that history.”

MacIver mentioned that some of the items from the 1999 time capsule have been added to the collections at the Marquette Regional History Center. The time capsule is now buried until 2050, so we’ll just have to wait and see how the world changes in the next 25 years.

Abby LaForest can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 548. Her email address is alaforest@miningjournal.net.