Sealed in stone for seven decades, a piece of Carrollton’s past was brought back to light this week as school officials opened a time capsule placed in the cornerstone of the former Carrollton High School building in 1955.
The unveiling took place Tuesday evening, Sept. 9, during a Carrollton Exempted Village Schools Board of Education meeting. Superintendent Dave Davis, assisted by board member Steven Pridemore, carefully lifted out the aged, damp contents that had been hidden away in the 3rd Street SE building for 70 years. The school, once the hub of Carrollton student life, is being torn down following the completion of the district’s new K-12 campus on Scio Road.
Remembering 1955
Among the first to speak was longtime local journalist Don Rutledge, who shared stories tied to the year the capsule was sealed. Rutledge recalled the Carrollton Band’s invitation to perform at the prestigious Midwest National Band Clinic in Chicago. Superintendent J. Wendell Herron at the time insisted the band remain home to play at the cornerstone dedication instead. Under the direction of George Toot, the students braved the cold to perform at the ceremony.
Treasures from the past
Inside the box, board members and attendees found relics that painted a vivid picture of school and community life in 1955. Artifacts included a 1955–56 student handbook, issues of The Free Press Standard dated Nov. 13 and Nov. 17, 1955, a program from the dedication ceremony, a Holy Bible, and other damp but legible documents.
The capsule also contained records of the school’s dedication held Nov. 20, 1955, and materials noting a bond issue that made the building possible. Notes of homecoming queens, football captains, and band members reminded the community of the people who once filled the halls with energy and tradition.
Board reflects on history
Seated at the table to help examine the discoveries were board members Pridemore, Dan Ries, Jamie Matoszkia, Jonathan Naylor and Rose Seck. As Davis and Pridemore unfolded the fragile papers and passed around the keepsakes, members marveled at the details preserved across the decades.
For some, the capsule was more than a collection of objects — it was a connection to parents, grandparents and former classmates whose lives intertwined with Carrollton’s story.
Looking ahead
While the artifacts offered a window into the past, the setting underscored a new chapter for the district. The old building, once a centerpiece of the community, is being dismantled as students now attend the K-12 campus on Scio Road. The junior high and high school buildings opened there in 2019, and the elementary school was completed this year.
The capsule’s opening bridged generations — linking 1955 to 2025, honoring the efforts of those who built a school for the future, and reminding today’s students and staff that history is always part of the foundation.
