Anyone wanting in 50 years to know what life was like in 2017 in La Grange Park will find a treasure trove of information buried on the grounds of the Village Hall.
Perhaps they will want to know how much a tax bill was in 2017, what dishes were featured on menus from local restaurants, what the village budget looked like or what residents thought about life in the village.
These items, recollections and more were placed in a capsule and lowered a few feet under during a ceremony Friday.
“This is a celebration. It’s a burial celebration. It’s a joyous event,” said village manager Julia Cedillo.
The capsule was created as part of a year-long series of events held to mark the village’s 125th anniversary.
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Laurie Whitman, who has lived in the village 39 years, contributed a bit of her own personal history to the capsule. A copy of the closing papers for her house, her tax bill in 1978 and her most recent one were included in the capsule.
Her tax bill was $450 in 1978 and the most recent was $9,900.
“I just think it would be really interesting 50 years from now for (someone) to take a look at the tax bill.” she said.
The time capsule also included writings from residents who wrote about their lives and predicted what life might be like in 2067, when the capsule will be opened.
Rita Banuelos of La Grange Park attended with her three children, Jenevieve, 10, Benjamin, 7 and Bianca, 4.
“We filled out the journal entries so I wanted them to see it buried,” said Rita Banuelos.
She said Jenevieve’s entry was about being in Girl Scouts, friends and how she wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up.
Deanne Curelo, executive secretary for the village, organized the project.
“We chose items that reflect life in the village now,” she said.
She said many of the residents’ journal entries “were sentimental about family, about La Grange Park being beautiful and a close knit community.”
As village officials, staff and residents looked on, the time capsule was lowered into the ground. A cement marker next to it denotes its place and when it will be opened.
It’s hard to predict what will happen in 50 years, but Banuelos said maybe her children will be on hand when the contents are revealed.
“I hope they will be here to see it unburied,” she said.
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