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FALCONER -- Fifty years after more than 150 people gathered in Davis Park to bury a piece of Falconer history, the community will gather Saturday to discover what has been waiting beneath the park since 1976.
The Village of Falconer will celebrate the opening of its 50-year-old time capsule during a weekend of events Friday and Saturday under the theme, "Forward: Into the Past." The original time capsule was created in 1976 as the nation celebrated the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The project was spearheaded by the Falconer Lions Club and the Falconer Area Bicentennial Committee, with more than 40 local organizations and groups participating by donating items to be preserved for future generations.
The capsule itself is a burial vault that was painted by Falconer High School art students from the classes of art teacher Tom Mason.
More than 150 people attended the original ceremony in Davis Park. David R. Kingsley, then president of theFalconer Lions Club and a Village trustee, served as master of ceremonies.
Joseph Gerace, who was serving as Chautauqua County Executive at the time, was among those who spoke during the ceremony. Other speakers included Miss Elizabeth Crocker, Chautauqua County historian, and Nancy Anderson, who was then Falconer historian.
Among those participating in the historic event was Falconer Bicentennial Chairman Robert Eccles.Members of the Falconer Lions Club who took part included John Wehrenberg, Walter "Bud" Coleson, Salvatore Ribaudo and James Servis.
The Henry Mosher American Legion Post 638 was represented by Fred Prine, William Thomas, Art Vincent and Lowell McKain.
Contributions from more than 40 organizations and groups were placed inside the vault before it was buried in Davis Park. For the past half-century, the vault and its contents have remained beneath the park, waiting for the day when a new generation of Falconer residents would gather to bring them back into the light.
That day will come Saturday, July 25.
The weekend celebration will begin Friday, July 24, with a village history walk led by Brenda Cavallaro, village historian. The one-hour walking tour will begin at the Community Building and take participants back in time as Cavallaro highlights historic areas of the village and shares stories about Falconer's past.
Saturday's activities will begin at noon with a picnic in the Park at Davis Park. The Falconer Kiwanis Club will sell refreshments and picnic fare for those gathering in anticipation of the capsule opening. Music will also be featured during the afternoon.
Visitors will have an opportunity to view items that will be placed in a new Falconer time capsule. The new capsule will preserve a snapshot of the community in 2026 and will be sealed for another 50 years, to be opened in 2076.
The official opening of the 1976 time capsule will take place at 2 p.m.
Chris Schrader, a Falconer native and Falconer High School teacher, will serve as master of ceremonies. Speakers will include Falconer Mayor James Jaroszynski and Cavallaro.
After 50 years beneath Davis Park, the contents contributed by Falconer organizations and community groups in 1976 will then be revealed.
The committee organizing the 50th-anniversary celebration includes Cavallaro; Ro Woodard, a village resident and member of the Falconer Central School Board; Melissa Russell, Falconer school teacher; and Alan and Nina Gustafson, Falconer residents.
The event is sponsored by Cattaraugus County Bank and the Falconer Reunion Committee.
Limited-run Falconer Time Capsule apparel is available by order through Falconer Printing.
The opening will provide those who remember Falconer in 1976 with an opportunity to revisit the past while giving younger generations a glimpse into the community their parents and grandparents knew.
At the same time, the creation of a new capsule will continue a tradition begun five decades ago – preserving a piece of Falconer today for the residents who will gather in Davis Park 50 years from now.
In 1976, Falconer left a message for the future.
On July 25, the community will finally open it.