COEUR d’ALENE — The secret of what’s inside a time capsule hidden for 100 years within a wall of the old Kootenai County courthouse will be revealed Friday. Still, the artifacts themselves won’t be present due to concerns about damage. 

Community members retrieved the time capsule, which proved to be a small copper box, from inside a cornerstone of an outer wall in early June. The time capsule was placed during the courthouse’s dedication ceremony. 

The initial plan was to display the contents during a joint celebration by Kootenai County and the city of Coeur d’Alene on the courthouse lawn, set for 1:30 p.m. Friday. The event will mark the nation’s 250th anniversary and the 100th anniversary of the old courthouse and will include live music and guest speakers. 

But the contents of the time capsule, said to be mostly paper, are too delicate to be exposed to the open air and sunlight. 

“They’re really susceptible to damage, since they’ve been in a closed climate for 100 years,” said Britt Thurman, executive director of the Museum of North Idaho. “We felt it was too high of a risk to be able to have them out on display.” 

Instead, large photo boards with images of the artifacts will be on display. 

Thurman said the museum had to weigh preserving the artifacts against the public’s access. 

“If you preserve items and nobody ever sees them, what was the point in preserving them?” she said. “It’s a balancing act.” 

Though the Museum of North Idaho doesn’t usually display paper items, preferring to display photos and reproductions to preserve the originals, Thurman said the museum plans to showcase the time capsule contents on a limited basis. 

“We will be putting them on display so people can still see them, but in a more controlled environment,” Thurman said. 

No date has been set for the museum display. 

The time capsule’s contents will remain secret until Friday, though Walter Burns, chair of the Coeur d’Alene Historical Preservation Commission, revealed a few details. 

“The thing was absolutely packed, right to the brim,” Burns told The Press on Tuesday. “We were pleased at the conditions of the contents. No moisture had gotten in there. Nothing was stuck together. We were able to remove it piece by piece.” 

More important than the artifacts themselves are the reasons why people chose to place them inside a time capsule 100 years ago. 

“I thought it was fascinating,” Burns said of the box’s contents. “They were telling the story of their time and of Coeur d’Alene during their time.” 

Thurman said it was exciting to see what was inside the box. 

“It’s not every day that you get an opportunity to open a time capsule and get that glimpse into the past,” she said. “We have documents and artifacts that are well over 100 years old, but to be one of the first people to see those documents in over 100 years is a cool feeling.” 

Burns said he hopes Friday’s event, which will culminate in the dedication of another time capsule to be opened in 100 years, will help show the importance of historical preservation. 

“We are in an era when history is threatened,” he said. “Development is always going to have an impact on historic resources. We’re happy to get the public out there and get them involved.” 

Community members are encouraged to bring their own chairs and blankets for the event on the courthouse lawn. The event will include live music, an ice cream social and activities for children following the formal program.