Gwen Stiver and the Time Capsule of 1976
A Message Buried for the Future
With a small crowd gathered, the capsule was lowered into the earth. Film crews captured the moment, reporters took notes, and students with tricorn hats and replica muskets shared the stage with mayor Peter J. Nemeth as he delivered an address. This was in 1976, and South Bend — like many other towns and cities across America — was taking part in Bicentennial celebrations to mark 200 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
One woman took up the charge of traveling through time to coordinate the capsule: Chairwoman of the South Bend Bicentennial Committee Gwen Stiver. Stiver was active in the South Bend community over the course of her life, serving for a number of years as president of the South Bend Park Board, leading development projects for the East Race and Coveleski Stadium, and organizing South Bend’s first Ethnic Festival (now reimagined as Fusion Fest). She continually volunteered her time to bring events and projects to life for residents of South Bend, helping to beautify our parks and contribute to a shared sense of place. The time capsule was buried in Bicentennial Park on the corner of Lasalle and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, but the park was later renamed Gwen Stiver Park after her death in 1997.
Time Capsule Lowered
A 150-pound time capsule was lowered into the ground of Bicentennial Park to be opened in 100 years. | 1976-10-01
Gwen Stiver
A time capsule will be buried in Bicentennial Park for people to open in 100 years. Pictured is Gwen Stiver, chairman of the South Bend Bicentennial Committee. | 1976-09-27
Fifty years from now in 2076, for America’s Tricentennial, the time capsule will be unearthed and we’ll be able to reminisce on its contents with nostalgia. It may not be that a single time capsule can capture the feelings of an entire city at a certain moment in time, but it’s the act of preservation that speaks to our human desire for connection and recognition. We have been here…we are here…we will be here, steadily traveling forward in time together through whatever the future holds. And people like Gwen offer the reminder that it’s the continual effort of pouring into our community that really marks the time and makes the change.
Book List
References
South Bend Education Alliance. (2023). South Bend community hall of fame archives. https://southbendeducationalliance.org/hall-of-fame-archives/
Obituaries. (1997, Nov. 16). South Bend Tribune, D10.
https://michianamemory.sjcpl.org/digital/collection/p16827coll15/id/4427/rec/2
https://michianamemory.sjcpl.org/digital/collection/p16827coll15/id/4455
