Editors Note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that the student newspaper at the time was The Columbia. It was actually The Columbiad.
Many were sad to say goodbye to Howard Hall, as it was a building full of history — both figuratively and literally. During its demolition, a time capsule was found in the cornerstone of the former gym’s brick walls.
The time capsule, an old metal box covered in dirt and mold, contained only few contents that weren’t destroyed or wet. Preserved items include fragments of the student newspaper at the time, The Columbiad, a 1927 copy of The Sentinel, a Catholic newspaper, and a list of University of Portland students.
Staff at the University of Portland said they were actively looking for the 90 year old relic.
“We knew that there might be a time capsule,” Xan Arch, Library Dean said. “There was some mention in the archival documents that it was possible — it said a treasure box of treasures and relics.”
Once the capsule was discovered, Dean of the Library Xan Arch, Digital Services Librarian Philip Vue, Librarian Administrative Assistant Diane Romero, and Digital Lab Coordinator José Velazco worked to uncover its contents. However, as the time capsule was an old metal box covered in dirt and mold, the team wanted to make sure it was performing the proper procedures in taking out the paper contents.
“We actually had a paper conservator come and talk to us because we weren't sure, given the state of the paper, if we should be trying to do this ourselves or if should we have her do it,” Arch said. “Her opinion, after taking a look inside the time capsule, was that it was either just destroyed or wet, and that we could deal with both options without her help.”
After moving the capsule to a different location, the team started to work on the identification and preservation of the historical pieces. Unfortunately, Vue, a digital services librarian, said this proved to be an almost impossible task.
“It’s all basically detonated,” Vue said. “Every layer had mold in it, so as we took it out, it just crumbled into ash. The only thing we were able to preserve from the time capsule was The Sentinel, which was a Catholic Newspaper from 1927 and there was also a student body list of student names. And a few fragments here and there of The Columbiad, the student newspaper of the time.”
Both Vue and Arch also explained that they think some of the fragmented pieces may have been part of a sports program.
Pictures of the identifiable content were archived. And some of the pieces were put on display in the library gallery.
“We’ve been displaying the list of student names for awhile, which was fun,” Arch said. “It’s down now, so we will move everything into preservation for now. That is The Sentinel, a couple fragments that were in decent shape and not moldy, the list of names, and the box itself.”
If you missed the gallery, photos of the historical pieces are available online on the Library Digital Collection, according to Vue.
“(The people who hid the time capsule) didn’t plan it well,” Fr. Jeffrey Schneibel, University archivist, said. “They didn’t much anticipate it. And it looks like when they got around to putting something in there, they hadn't thought about it in advance. Alas, that’s actually what happens in almost all time capsules.”
Though small, there is a possibility of another time capsule hidden somewhere at UP.
“There was some kind of discussion of one being in the Peace Garden,” Arch said. “I’ve heard a number of things from the faculty about that, but that apparently was never found.”
