Workers have drilled into the cornerstone at the century-old Kane County Courthouse in Geneva, but the public will have to wait an extra week to find out what, if anything, they found inside.
More Top Picks Best Co2 Regulators For Homebrewing
Organizers had planned to open the vault that has been sealed since 1891 during a ceremony Sunday, but decided to dig it out early just to make sure they could find the time capsule. They also want to determine that something more than a pile of dust is inside.
A formal ceremony to display the treasures has been pushed back to Sept. 25 to give preservation experts time to survey and protect whatever contents they find.
A county history book says the vault is sealed inside the cornerstone on Third Street, but that is the only known record of its location. Snippets of 19th Century life in Kane County are believed to be stored in the vault, but no one is sure of exactly what is inside.
County Board member Nancy Wauchope, chairman of the committee overseeing both the opening of the Geneva vault and the planned closing of a similar capsule inside the year-old Judicial Center in St. Charles, said county officials want to avoid that egg-on-your-face feeling come opening day.
“We want to be sure we have something in there to show,” Wauchope said.
The postponement will not affect the scheduled Oct. 16 closing observance at the judicial center.