COEUR d’ALENE — The community got a glimpse of the past and looked to the future Friday afternoon when the contents of a time capsule that had remained hidden for 100 years within a wall of the old Kootenai County courthouse were revealed.

The event marked three special occasions: America’s 250th birthday, 136 years since Idaho’s statehood and the 100th anniversary of the old courthouse. 

“It’s important not just for its stately architecture, but for the story it tells about the early days of Coeur d’Alene and Kootenai County,” said Walter Burns, chair of the Coeur d’Alene Historical Preservation Commission. “Buildings like this give a direct connection to the past and how this city grew.” 

Ronnie Semko of Coeur d’Alene was one of the hundreds of people who gathered on the courthouse lawn for the event. 

“I’m really interested in history,” said Semko, who grew up in Cataldo. “I live in a 1908 house up the street.” 

After the program, Semko joined the throng of people eager to see what was inside the time capsule, which had been placed in a cornerstone of the courthouse when the building was dedicated in April 1926. 

The artifacts were too delicate to be exposed to sunlight and outdoor air, so large photos of the items were displayed for the public. 

“It’s interesting to see what they thought was important at that period of time and what we think is important now,” she said. 

Jonathan Mueller, chair of the Kootenai County Historical Preservation Commission, said the time capsule, referred to as a “casket” in newspaper articles of the day, was packed with papers. The documents included: 

• A roster of the Worley Masonic Lodge No. 86 

• An autographed page from the Coeur d’Alene High School annual 

• A list of Kootenai County officials 

• Statements and annual reports from area banks, as well as a 1925 financial report for Kootenai County and a school district annual report 

• An architectural illustration of the courthouse and an invitation to the laying of the cornerstone 

• Copies of the Coeur d’Alene Press, the Rathdrum Eagle, the Harrison Searchlight, the Post Falls Advance, the Spirit Lake Herald and the CHS student newspaper, the White Pine 

• A record of the Boy Scouts 

• A letter signed by Stanley Easton, the mining entrepreneur for whom Camp Easton is named 

• A tourism magazine titled “Coeur d’Alene: Beautiful and Progressive” 

• The annual communication from the Grand Lodge of Idaho 

• A blank Kootenai County letterhead 

Masons traveled from across Idaho to join the celebration, rededicating the courthouse that members of their fraternal order had dedicated 100 years earlier. 

“Our wish is for another hundred more,” said Grand Master Randy King. 

Mueller said the items in the time capsule send a message. 

“They wanted us to know what it was like, what they were doing, how proud they were of their new building, the shape that the county was in,” he said. 

In the coming weeks, historic preservationists will bury another time capsule on the courthouse grounds to be opened in 100 years. This time capsule is bigger than the original and contains a variety of items, including: 

• Letters from the Kootenai County commissioners and Coeur d’Alene mayor and city councilors 

• Copies of newspapers 

• A poem titled “Revival,” written for the occasion by Coeur d’Alene Poet Laureate Jennifer Passaro 

• A proclamation and signed photograph from the Idaho Supreme Court 

• Items donated by the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Freemasons, the Museum of North Idaho, the Coeur d’Alene Arts Commission, North Idaho College and Lewis and Clark State College 

• Items donated by museums and historic societies in Harrison, Spirit Lake and Hayden Lake 

• A hand-beaded medallion representing the Coeur d’Alene Tribe 

• A set of semiquincentennial coins, as well as a roll of 2025 pennies 

• An Idaho license plate 

• A commemorative piece celebrating the commissioning of the USS Idaho nuclear submarine 

• A medallion from the city of Coeur d’Alene 

• A ceremonial gavel from the Grand Lodge of Idaho 

• A cell phone 

The celebration featured music from the Lake City Harmonizers, the Music Conservatory of Coeur d’Alene Youth Choir and CdA Brass, as well as remarks from Kootenai County Commissioner Leslie Duncan and Coeur d’Alene Mayor Dan Gookin. 

Keynote speaker Idaho Supreme Court Justice Cynthia Meyer reflected on the rule of law, emphasizing that the law must apply equally to all and hold all accountable, whether they are individuals, institutions or governments. 

“The rule of law is the foundation of all of our individual freedoms and liberties,” she said. 

The U.S. Constitution and Idaho’s Constitution protect these rights through the rule of law, she said, and maintaining that rule requires an independent judiciary in which judges are not beholden to outside pressures or opinions. 

Meyer said that when she thinks of what the founding of this nation in 1776 and the building of Kootenai County’s courthouse in 1926 mean today, she thinks of the rule of law. 

“I think of this nation’s founding and the great experiment in democracy, not monarchy, not tyranny,” she said. “And I consider how the rule of law has guarded our freedoms, ideals and principles. I think about how the rule of law is at play every day in these courtrooms.” 

Without the rule of law, Meyer said, civilization crumbles. 

“Just as firmly, I believe that the rule of law will endure because we respect it, because we protect it and because we continue to celebrate our freedom and liberty,” she said. “Happy birthday, America, and happy birthday, Kootenai County courthouse.” 

    Ronnie Semko examines photos of the contents of a time capsule placed inside a wall of the Kootenai County courthouse 100 years ago.
  

    Photos highlight how a time capsule sealed away in 1926 was uncovered in June 2026.
  

    Idaho Supreme Court Justice Cynthia Meyer delivers remarks during a ceremony celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Kootenai County courthouse.
  

    Coeur d'Alene Mayor Dan Gookin addresses the crowd on the courthouse lawn.
  

    Hundreds gathered Friday to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, 136 years since Idaho’s statehood and the 100th anniversary of the old courthouse.
  

    Music Conservatory of Coeur d’Alene Youth Choir sings "Here We Have Idaho" before a crowd of hundreds outside the Kootenai County courthouse.