Dates

• Existence: 1896, 1946

Biography

The Burlington Clubwomen's Time Capsule dates from 1896 and was created by the Burlington Federation of Women's Clubs for the occasion of Iowa's Semi-Centennial Celebration that year. Its purpose was to honor women's contribution to society and to this celebration and to give 'the woman of 1946' an impression of 'the woman of 1896.' Every women's club in Burlington in 1896 made a contribution in the form of a short essay about their club, its aim, and its charter members. The Time Capsule (often referred to as 'the Box' or 'the Mystery Box') was to be opened at the celebration of the State's Centennial in 1946.

On October 2, 1946, during the celebration of Iowa's Centennial, the time capsule was opened by the Iowa Federation of Women's Clubs. The Federation decided to extend the time capsule; they added new materials to the box and resealed it in April 1947, to be opened again in 1996. The women of 1996 would then get an impression of the progress made by women in the past century.

In 1997 Burlington resident Dianne Lerud Chubb came across a reference to the time capsule, located it in a safe at City Hall and opened it. The contents of the box were donated to the Iowa Womens Archives, and are included in the Iowa Digital Library.

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