When Logan County officials and leaders of the Russellville Area 175th Anniversary Celebration buried a time capsule on the grounds of Logan County Courthouse in mid-September 1973, it was announced that the capsule would be reopened to the public 50 years later.
As predicted, that capsule is be brought to the surface and opened this Friday, Sept. 22, at 2 p.m. The public is welcome.
The event is being coordinated by Judge-Executive Phil Baker along with the Logan County Chamber of Commerce. This is officially a Tobacco & Heritage Festival event.
The 1973 time capsule took the shape of a coffin and was lowered into the ground by Paul Proctor and Randy Stokes.
Robert R. ‘Bob’ Brown was in his fourth year as county judge. Members of the court were Wyatt Ezell Sr., James Quessenbery, Bill Moss, Lewis Williams, David Riley, Russell Smith and Charles Head Jr.
Other officials included State Senator Frank Miller, State Representative Lewis Foster, Circuit Judge William G. Fuqua, Commonwealth Attorney Jim Lyne, County Attorney Jesse Riley Jr., Tax Assessor Karl Dawson, County Clerk Marion ‘Dealer’ Johnson, Sheriff Jim Johnson and Jailer Fount Shifflett Sr. Of that group, only Judge Fuqua and Jesse Riley are still living.
Russellville Mayor Bobby Sawyer was very much involved in the 175th Anniversary Celebration. Pharmacist/business owner Jerry White was chairman of the huge event.
Some of items in the capsule were both a stalk and a twist of tobacco, packages of groceries, a recording of a WRUS newscast, a pair of platform shoes, current medical journals, pictures of current clothing styles, a Barbie doll, copies of the Logan Leader and the News-Democrat, a policeman’s uniform, brochures and folders about events and places of interest in the county, pictures of local businesses and of Logan County Hospital, the top five musical records of the year, 175th Anniversary Celebration items and a copy of the official Celebration booklet “Memories and Milestones.”
Also included were “envelopes of personal belongings which will be passed down to their descendants.” The names of those filling the envelopes were not announced, so that will be a surprise at the opening.
One item not locally produced but included was a copy Playboy magazine. There’s no word yet as to whether either CSI or NCIS will send a forensic team to try to determine who supplied the magazine.
The 175th Anniversary Celebration was months in the planning. It officially was held September 16-22. Logan Countians were wearing long dresses, hats and suspenders. Women were Belles of the Ball and men were “Brothers of the Brush” in honor of their thick whiskers.
Shown in the picture of the Executive Committee are, from left, standing, Bess Martin, Jerry White, Mary Ann Proctor Wilson, George Wheeler, Allyson Rowell, Buck Anderson, JoAnne Russell and Steve Clarke; seated, Leslie Evans, Judith Hoover and Peggy Shoulders.