August 23 marks the anniversary of the El Paso County Courthouse cornerstone placing ceremony. A time capsule was created by the El Paso County Commissioners and sealed in the cornerstone located in the northwest corner of the new courthouse that was under construction on August 23, 1900. The Colorado Springs Gazette estimated 5,000 people attended the event; the “largest ever in attendance” in Alamo Square Park (also called South Park). Representatives from the El Paso County Pioneers Association, the El Paso County Commissioners, members of the Colorado Grand Lodge of Masons, and those asked to speak during the ceremony filled the platform, which was decorated with the American flag, flowers, and palm and olive branches. The Colorado Midland Band performed at the ceremony as well. A century later, CSPM removed the cornerstone, opened the capsule and unveiled the contents during a public ceremony. It took three weeks to chip away the mortar and slide the 1,000 pound block of granite away from the building. Located inside a hallowed cavity were two tin boxes. The boxes contained documents, photographs, books and objects from the citizens of El Paso County. A new time capsule was placed in the cornerstone on August 23, 2000. It will be opened in the year 2100. These images are examples of the contents of the time capsule. Items can be viewed by appointment, please contact: Starsmore Center for Local History (719) 385-5650 Email: sclh@springsgov.com. Item from the time capsule. Item from the time capsule. AJ Smith’s architectural rendering of the El Paso County Courthouse El Paso County Courthouse during construction (Sept. 1900) MUSELETTER AUGUST 2017 | PG 6
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