photo by Katie Cole

Encapsulating: Ryan Murray, Prime Management marketing director, holds the framed contents of a time capsule buried in Wilder Healthcare Center in 1924 and discovered in 1989.

Healthcare center buries time capsule

By Katie Cole (Contact) | Dadeville Record

Published Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Last week a time capsule was buried within the walls of the Dadeville Healthcare Center for future generations to discover.

The idea came from a similar discovery more than 20 years ago when Wilder Healthcare Center was being renovated, according to Martha Lambert, a representative from holding company Prime Management.

“In 1989 Mr. (Bobby) Chapman was doing extensive renovation of the Wilder Healthcare Center … In that wall was a paper package, wrapped in string and sealed with wax,” Lambert said.

Inside the package, which was dated Feb. 14, 1927, they found memorabilia from the William Gray family, who once occupied the home. The package contained the cards of Marilla Crawford Gray and her son, William Gray Jr. There was also a photo of Gray Jr. as a child with his friends, an 1882 certificate naming William Gray Sr. to the position of treasurer of Tallapoosa County, and a Mercury dime. A letter from Marilla Gray stated that she hoped the dime would bring luck to future generations of the family.

With Dadeville Healthcare Center being renovated, it seemed like a good time for them to create their own time capsule, Lambert said. Their time capsule contained photographs and letters from residents and employees, an Alabama quarter, and issues of The Alexander City Outlook, The Dadeville Record, Lake Martin Living, Lake magazine and The Auburn Villager.

Officials from Prime Management, Dadeville Healthcare Center and the construction crew were present as the plastic, zip-top bag containing the items was buried inside a windowsill.

“It shows the time difference with our plastic bag (versus) string and a paper bag,” Dadeville Healthcare Center administrator Peggy Steed said.

---

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE THIS STORY?

---