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IS THERE ANYTHING INSIDE?
Time capsule mystery may be resolved
capsule1

What’s another day after 107 years?

After spending much of Wednesday trying to extract a time capsule of the International Order of Odd Fellows dating back to 1913, Ron Cruz put the work on hold.

That’s after he and Bill Buffington, his go-to guy when it comes to cutting through brick and mortar, discovered that the time capsule was indeed encased in the 11-by-17-by-12- inch cornerstone of the 107-year-old building.

They’re getting a small jackhammer to hopefully finish the work.

“We know there’s something there,” said Cruz, who was thrilled to catch a glimpse of the metal box inside of the IOOF granite block of the two-story Manteca Bedquarter building on the northwest corner of Yosemite Avenue near Main Street.

It’s unknown whether the original content is still inside the zinc capsule container – a copy of the Manteca Enterprise newspaper dated June 27, 1913 along with a copy of the Irrigation Bulletin dated the same day; photographs of  Manteca from back then, and notes including the list of the officers of the newly-installed at the Manteca lodge.

According to Steve Lewis – he’s one of the owners of the building – the old IOOF lodge was remodeled in the early 1960s. He was uncertain if the time capsule was still intact in the original structure.

“It may have been taken out during the remodel,” Lewis said.