By Tammy Kilby
For the Times
DARLINGTON — Darlington Chamber/Main Street Director Kristen May is preparing a time capsule to celebrate the 175th Celebration.
“I’m excited to implement a time capsule commemorating the 175th of Darlington,” she said. “This time capsule will serve as a collection of items to glimpse into our lives, businesses and stories of Darlington, Wisconsin. I will be collecting time capsule items through the 175th celebration. I will wait to seal the capsule until after our big celebration so we can include photos of the 175th celebration. Once the capsule is sealed it will be housed at the Lafayette County Historical Society building.”
May said she is interested in hearing from businesses and residents regarding the upcoming contents of the time capsule.
“The capsule is limited for space, but we will have plenty of room for paper, photos, and small items. The time capsule will remain closed for 75 years,” she said.
Ideal items to be shared include small mementos, letters, photographs, possibility a letter to future generations regarding life in Darlington. Any personal reflection will enrich the time capsule as it speaks to future generations. Anyone with items to share are asked to contact Kristen May at the Chamber/Main Street office.
“Together we can build a time capsule that captures the spirit of Darlington,” May said.
The enthusiasm of the 175th Celebration is building already among the community. Barb Nemec, Museum Manager for the Lafayette County Historical and Genealogy Society (LCHGS), said she has a lot to be excited about. She will soon be accepting the 175th Celebration time capsule into the LCHGS museum.
“We look forward to housing the time capsule, keeping it safe in our climate-controlled museum until the date set for re-opening,” Nemec said. She added the society is used to holding on to items for safe keeping. “We think we’re the perfect place to store something like this because preserving the past, so it can be shared in the future, is what we do. In fact, we already have a time capsule that is scheduled to be opened on July 4, 2051.”
The very first item on the list of enclosed objects says “newspapers.” Back in the beginning of Darlington, it was the newspaper that became the main source of information. The longest running business in Darlington at 163 years, the Republican Journal was once named the Lafayette County Independent when it began on May 11, 1861.
