CARIBOU, Maine — November 15, 1913 was a significant day in the history of the Bessie Gray Memorial United Methodist Church. Known at the time simply as Caribou’s Methodist Church, members of the congregation, local dignitaries and religious leaders, including Methodist Bishop John W. Hamilton of Boston, gathered to witness the placing of a cornerstone in a pillar of the portico located at the main entrance off of Prospect Street as part of the newly constructed church’s dedication service.
With its doors open only since May 4 of that same year, the congregation had selected noteworthy items pertaining to the church’s construction and sealed them in a sturdy metal box, which was then placed behind the cornerstone for members to find several years later.
Those witnessing the laying of that cornerstone on that late-fall Saturday afternoon had no way of knowing the unique circumstances under which their box would be found or the joy its discovery would bring to one particular future congregation member.
As a lifelong member of Gray Memorial and co-chair of its historical committee, Mary Lou Brown took an active role in organizing the celebration of the church’s 100th anniversary in 2013. After reading minutes from past church council meetings, Brown discovered notes about the time capsule’s existence, but where it was hidden was not disclosed. Determined to locate it, Brown enlisted the help of Caribou Utilities District Manager Alan Hitchcock.
Brown’s mostly tongue-in-cheek efforts to convince church leadership that it was a good idea to dig up the entire grounds in order to find the time capsule were unsuccessful, so she resigned herself to the fact that it most likely would not be found in time for the centennial celebration.
“I was disappointed,” Brown admitted, “but what could I do?”
Almost two years later, enter a typical northern Maine snowstorm and a plow. While clearing the church’s driveway, the plow operator accidentally ran into the cornerstone pillar, knocking the black box out of its 100-year hiding place and onto the frozen ground. When Roy Alden, a church trustee who was contacted shortly after the plow accident, arrived at the church to inspect the situation, he found the undamaged box and immediately knew what it was. His next step was to call Brown to let her know what had happened.
“I was ecstatic!” Brown exclaimed.
Brown informed the congregation of the time capsule’s discovery and plans — many, many plans — were bandied about on how to open it without harming the contents.
“It was even suggested we go along the seams with a can opener,” Brown joked.
But it was Caribou business owner Paul Powers, who has several decades’ worth of experience working with sheet metal, who devised the winning plan.
This past Sunday several members of the church and community gathered in Gray Memorial’s dining area after regular worship services to watch Powers, with the help of church member Dave Belyea, open the soldered together lead-lined copper box with a drill and a pair of tin snips.
Careful not to go too far inside, Powers slowly peeled away strips of the box’s top until it was fully open. The church’s current pastor, Reverend Dr. Thomas Bentum, then donned a pair of white gloves to begin pulling out the valuable contents.
Silence filled the room as, one by one, Rev. Bentum revealed items such as a 1913 edition of the Aroostook Republican, an issue of the Epworth Herald and copy of the Christian Advocate, all of which made mention of the church’s dedication. Church documentation such as a statement of pledges for the building fund, a copy of the church’s deed, a description of the church, two postcard photographs and the church’s dedication program were also inside the time capsule. A United Methodist Conference year book and Quarterly Conference nominations were among many other items stored inside, including a 1910 dime.
“It’s great to be able to connect with our past,” Rev. Bentum reflected after the reveal. “It’s interesting to see what they thought would inspire us and to be able to touch what they touched.”
All of the items were in remarkably pristine condition, thanks to the construction of the box and its careful placement in the pillar.
“The box was very well built. Craftsmanship was much more unique than today,” Powers stated.
Brown, who had taken the unopened capsule on a small tour of Caribou a few days prior, was anything but disappointed with the results of the reveal.
“It was glorious!” she exclaimed while making her way through the crowd that had gathered to get a closer look at the contents. “Wonderful fellowship, grand attendance, yummy food served by the children — I can’t believe how well it went.”
And she was not alone in her excitement over the event.
“It was a great celebration, a good thing,” said 97-year-old Anna Roberts, the church’s eldest member. “It was very impressive.”
Vicki Wood, a former northern Maine district superintendent of the United Methodist Church, who had made the trip to Caribou from Newport to experience the reveal and read a statement from current District Superintendent Pat MacHugh, commented on the continued vitality of Gray Memorial throughout the years.
“Aroostook County knows how to do church,” Wood said. “Gray Memorial has kept its integrity of what it means to be a church.”
In addition to Wood, representatives from state government and city leadership were present at the ceremony.
“Gray Memorial has always made historic events for the city of Caribou,” Caribou’s State Representative Carol McElwee told the crowd. “Caribou is a historic city. I’m honored to be here for the opening of this time capsule.”
As the contents of the century-old time capsule were being placed inside an archival box donated, along with the white gloves used to handle the items, by the Caribou Public Library, Brown and other members of the church’s historical committee chatted about what they thought should go into a current capsule, agreeing that the decision would be made by the congregation.
The capsule itself remains about 90 percent intact and Powers agreed to donate a new cover for it or a complete substitute container should the church decide to use a new one.
“One thing’s for certain,” Brown stated about the new time capsule, “we will maintain clear documentation on its location.”
