Time capsule offers a glimpse of Ocean City’s recent past

It had all the makings of a great mystery: A time capsule that had been tucked away for 25 years in the dark and musty attic of City Hall.

What secrets could possibly be revealed inside when it was opened up by Ocean City officials on New Year’s Eve?

Unfortunately, it didn’t contain Blackbeard’s legendary lost treasure or anything else so compelling, but the contents were uniquely Ocean City.

The contents included family photos, T-shirts emblazoned with the names of local businesses, advertising materials, a listing of Ocean City’s special events, copies of old newspapers and other memorabilia.

Mayor Jay Gillian and his aide, Michael Allegretto, showed off the time capsule items to members of the media on Friday inside the mayor’s office at City Hall.

Gillian said there are plans to eventually display the memorabilia to the public in an exhibit at the Ocean City Historical Museum.

    Mayor Jay Gillian shows a Shriver's T-shirt found in the time capsule.
  

The time capsule dates back to Dec. 31, 1999, when Ocean City installed a new Millennium Clock on the Boardwalk at Ninth Street to celebrate the arrival of the 2000s on New Year’s Day.

Roughly the size of a kitchen trash can, the box-like metal capsule originally was supposed to be placed under the Millennium Clock on the Boardwalk. However, the Boardwalk’s periodic reconstruction made that impossible, so the capsule was instead stored in the attic of City Hall for safekeeping for 25 years.

To mark the capsule’s 25th anniversary, it was opened this New Year’s Eve during Ocean City’s annual First Night celebration, a town-wide, family-friendly gala featuring more than 70 alcohol-free shows and activities spread out over 20 venues.

“This is a testament to First Night and the tradition we’re all about – families and non-alcohol,” Gillian said of the time capsule’s contents.

    Among the time capsule's contents were old black-and-white photos of members of Ocean City's Oves family on the beach in 1913
  

The memorabilia serves as a snapshot of Ocean City’s 20th century history. Gillian called the contents “cool.”

Copies of old newspapers found inside the time capsule reminded Gillian of the importance of the newspaper industry to the local community before internet news and social media began to dominate the news.

“The only thing that popped in my head was, the good old days of newspapers,” he said.

Among the photos that were pulled out of the time capsule were old black-and-white beach pictures from 1913 of members of the Oves family, prominent Ocean City residents and business people known for their ownership of Oves Restaurant.

One of the more interesting items in the capsule was a CD of Christmas music performed by the Ocean City Pops, the local orchestra.

“I didn’t even know that we did that,” Allegretto said of his surprise in seeing the Pops’ Christmas recording.

    Michael Allegretto holds an old advertising sticker that touts Ocean City as being "sandsational."
  

Now, there are tentative plans for stuffing a new time capsule with Ocean City memorabilia. Gillian suggested that city officials should wait 35 years for the next opening.

But unlike the last capsule, it would not be stored in the attic of City Hall.

“But this time, we’ll bury it,” Gillian said, laughing.

    Mayor Jay Gillian takes a peek inside the metal box that served as the time capsule.