Pekin celebrates birth of city, birth of nation with time capsule unveiling

PEKIN ( 25News Now ) - The City of Pekin celebrated Independence Day and its bicentennial by turning back time, opening up a time capsule buried nearly 50 years ago in 1976.

The capsule contained items such as newspapers, souvenir coins, keychains and other items from that year - America's own 200th birthday.

Several letters were written by former Mayor William Waldmeier and former Pekin Chamber of Commerce president Chuck Wolfe to their present-day successors.

Current mayor Mary Burress said she's honored to be part of Pekin's history.

"I moved up here in '75, so the whole thing just brought back memories," she said. "There's not one thing that I was shocked of. It just was, it was a thrill, and it took me right back to the day I moved up here."

Burress said the Sears catalogs and cassette tapes were some items that stood out to her.

"I think another thing that just stood out was how many letters the community citizens and leaders wrote," she said. "From the mayor, on down to the school athletic director. Those are amazing to have from almost 50 years ago."

The mayor said they won't be burying the next time capsule because some of the items were destroyed.