At City Hall on Wednesday, July 22, Long Beach will open a time capsule that was buried 50 years ago on July 4, 1976.
The over 84 items in the capsule include letters by elementary school students, high school yearbooks, newspapers, Bicentennial flags, a telephone directory, and matchbooks and ashtrays branded for the city.
The event will take place in the City Hall Council Chambers, 411 W Ocean Blvd., at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday. City leaders and representatives from the Historical Society of Long Beach will speak before revealing the capsule’s contents. Long Beach residents who authored letters in the capsule will read aloud the writing from their elementary school selves.
“50 years ago, Long Beach residents captured their hopes for the future,” Mayor Rex Richardson said in a press release. “Today we’re honored to open that window into our past as we celebrate how far our city has come and recommit ourselves to building an even brighter future for the generations who follow.”
The former city hall building is under preparation for demolition in Long Beach on Thursday, September 30, 2021. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Placed outside the previous City Hall, which has since been torn down, the capsule was part of the dedication of the former City Hall and Long Beach Public Library and commemorated the United States Bicentennial. Also inside the capsule are images from the July 4, 1976 celebration of the new, now demolished, civic center and gifts for Mayor Richardson and his wife.
The capsule was to be opened on July 4, 2026, exactly 50 years after it was buried, said Julie Bartolotto, executive director of the Historical Society, in an interview. The ceremony, set for July 8, was postponed to this Wednesday.
The mayor’s office, the city manager’s office, library leaders and the department of technology and innovation will host the event with support from groups like the Historical Society, Rancho Los Cerritos and the Arts Council for Long Beach.
“As a city, we have such a fascinating and storied local history to celebrate,” said Cathy De Leon, director of library, arts and culture, in a press release. “Hopefully by looking at the past, we’re not only able to reminisce about where we’ve been but also use that history as a guidepost to continue growing and evolving as a community.”