Eight people born in 1976 whose names were placed in the Mount Union Historical Society’s time capsule gather for its opening Oct. 3. From left are Tricia Kemp, Patrick Goodman, Natalie Giacobello, Stephanie Hancock Stains, Stacy Estep, Heather Goodman, Shannon Harbaugh, and Jessica Dimoff.
By ANIKKA BAKER | Journalism Student, Mount Union Area Senior High School
Mount Union, Pa. — On Oct. 3, 2026, the Mount Union Historical Society held a celebration for its 1976 Bicentennial Time Capsule at the Sharrar Stone House grounds. The event commemorated America’s 250th birthday year and included music, history, and the distribution of the time capsule’s contents. Around 120 people gathered to witness this once-in-a-lifetime event.
At the ceremony, the MUAHS band performed the national anthem to kick off the event. The audience then heard a speech about the Mount Union Historical Society and the time capsule.
The time capsule was originally buried on Dec. 30, 1976, at Mount Union Cemetery. Several Historical Society members and organizations placed special items in the capsule. It was unearthed on Sept. 14, 2026. Although many of the contents had been damaged by the elements, 36 of the 51 items were identified and were able to be returned to their designated organizations and families.
When the time capsule was buried in 1976, the names of 11 babies born that year were included. The audience was introduced to eight of the 11 people. Each had a personal biography that included the names of their parents, children, and siblings. The biographies also included information about their careers and personal lives. These individuals were the ones to open the time capsule and pass out its contents.
When asked what the community should take away from the experience, Mount Union Historical Society member Tim Goodman said, “I hope that it brings the community closer together and brings more people to the Historical Society.” Goodman believes it is important to pursue local history so we can see how our relatives grew up and how they lived.
The time capsule was buried on Dec. 30, 1976, at 10 a.m., the same year the Mount Union Historical Society was founded. Although Goodman was not part of the original event, his parents were members of the Historical Society and left him and his siblings with a few special coins and photos.
Goodman would like to thank all of the groups involved with this ceremony, including the Women’s Auxiliary, the high school band, the people born in 1976, and all those who participated in this amazing event.
This article was published as part of Ms. Dimoff’s Journalism class at Mount Union Area Senior High School.
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