COEUR d’ALENE — A hidden piece of history came to light Wednesday as community members retrieved a 100-year-old time capsule from within an outer wall of the old Kootenai County courthouse. 

“It was a bit of a treasure hunt,” said Walter Burns, chair of the Coeur d’Alene Historical Preservation Commission. “It started as a rumor. We really had nothing to back it up.” 

The search for the time capsule began several years ago as the county and the city considered how they might celebrate the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary and educate the community about the area’s history. 

“We heard a rumor,” said Jonathan Mueller, chair of the Kootenai County Historical Preservation Commission. “That led to more discovery and research.” 

Century-old newspaper clippings described the dedication ceremony, which occurred in April 1926. They revealed the capsule’s location: inside a cornerstone of the courthouse, the gray stone marked with the names of the county commissioners at the time and the dedication date. 

Shannon Sardell, a historical architect and member of the city’s historic preservation commission, assisted in drilling a small hole in the brick so a fiber-optic camera could take a look inside. 

“Lo and behold, there was what appeared to be a rusted metal container,” Burns said. “We were thrilled to find that it was there.” 

Masons with Dobson Chimney and Masonry Services worked for hours Wednesday to carefully remove several layers of bricks around the cornerstone. The bricks will be put back at a later date. 

“We’re really honored,” said Shawn Stetson, owner of Dobson Chimney and Masonry Services. “We’re all curious to see what’s inside.” 

Coeur d’Alene resident Theresa Alexander was among the onlookers. She said being alive to witness the opening of a century-old time capsule is a thrilling opportunity for history buffs like her. 

“I’m very excited to see what secrets are stored in there,” she said. 

Around midmorning, an unexpected obstacle appeared. Inside the cornerstone was not an L-shaped block or a hollow space, but a solid stone block with a recess for the rectangular time capsule. It necessitated removing additional bricks so the capsule could be lifted out safely. 

What emerged at last was a small, corroded copper box with no obvious opening or seams. Crumbling paper was visible through a hole in the box where it was damaged. 

“It’s so far from what we expected,” Burns said. 

Britt Thurman, executive director of the Museum of North Idaho, received the box after it was liberated from the cornerstone. 

“We’ll find the least invasive way to get it open,” she said. 

Thurman said the items inside the time capsule, believed to be mostly documents, are less significant than the reasons why those items were chosen. 

“It’s what people 100 years ago felt was important for us to have a viewpoint of who they were,” she said. 

News reports from the time indicate that about 1,500 people gathered for the dedication of the time capsule. During that period, approximately 7,000 people lived in Coeur d’Alene. 

“It was quite the ceremony,” Mueller said. 

Burns and Mueller said they hope to see a large turnout when the contents of the time capsule are revealed publicly July 3, during a joint celebration by Kootenai County and the city of Coeur d’Alene on the courthouse lawn. 

The celebration will mark the nation’s 250th anniversary and the 100th anniversary of the old courthouse, and will include live music and guest speakers. 

The event will culminate in the dedication and placement of another time capsule to be opened in 100 years. 

    Walter Burns, chair of the Coeur d’Alene Historical Preservation Commission, examines the space where a time capsule was hidden inside a cornerstone of the old Kootenai County courthouse.
  

    Masons remove bricks from around a cornerstone at the old Kootenai County courthouse.
  

    First District Judge Tristan Poorman gathers with county employees to watch masons work to uncover a century-old time capsule at the old courthouse.
  

    Masons Phil Dobson and Ryan Jelinek remove bricks from an exterior wall of the courthouse.
  

    Jonathan Mueller holds a copper time capsule that was revealed on Wednesday after a century.
  

    Walter Burns stands atop a platform by the place where a time capsule was hidden in a courthouse wall.
  

    Ryan Jelinek works to remove bricks from the exterior of the old courthouse.