116-year-old time capsule found during Illini Hall demolition

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) — A mysterious box was found inside a cornerstone during the demolition of Illini Hall at the University of Illinois.

The box was determined to be a time capsule from the year 1907.

“We were really fortunate to learn that the university was willing to partner with us both retrieving the cornerstone and some cornice work from the Illini Hall,” said Executive Director of the University YMCA, Jim Hinterlong.

Illini Hall was the original home of the University YMCA.

The contents of the capsule will remain a mystery for a while.

“We don’t know what’s in it. We won’t know until later this year when we have our celebration event for our 150th anniversary on October 1st and we could only begin to imagine what kind of information, or ideas or images, or documents they might’ve put in there to discover 116 years later,” said Hinterlong.

Many are speculating about the contents. Hinterlong believes the time capsule could include items to signify the different era.

“It was a dynamic time. This was before the First World War. It was a time before radio was widely used, I think perhaps used at all. It was a time before television. It was a time when what people did at moments of significance was come together in person and talk about the future and about the current moment. We hope some of that is captured in the time capsule,” said Hinterlong.

Illini Hall is set to become a new Data Science Hub.