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Illinois time capsule found while tearing down library

State and local historical experts are figuring out how to safely open it, and hope to open the capsule by Friday.

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois — Illinois historians aren't sure what they'll find when they open a time capsule found earlier this week. Crews were tearing down a building belonging to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library when they noticed a hollow cornerstone.

Officials say the capsule they found dates back to 1912. A collection manager looked through newspaper archives from the era and believes there were documents placed inside of it.

"Pretty excited about what could be in there. We know that there's a list of names of children that a dollar had been given in their name. Something they call a cradle role book. Kind of a fundraising idea at the time. You give a dollar, and you get your name put in this cradle role book and it goes into the cornerstone," said Curtis Mann with Lincoln Library.

For now, the cornerstone is in storage with the office of Public Works. State and local historical experts are figuring out how to safely open it, and hope to open the capsule by Friday.

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