Last summer, the Bell County Centennial Time Capsule was unearthed in downtown Pineville, where it had been buried for 50 years. The capsule was buried in the hopes of rising up again to commemorate to the 150th anniversary of Bell County.

On April 24 at the Bell County Historical Museum, a Duel Unveiling will be held. The contents of the time capsule will be on display at the museum. The capsule was filled with items such as old magazines, pins, money, gum, books and other common items of the time. All and more will be displayed for anyone to see. The capsule itself will also be on display.

The capsule was constructed by J.R. Hoe and Sons and was placed in the ground around the old courthouse. The location of its burial was marked by a concrete slab with the date etched into it. The marker is 3 feet long, 3 feet wide and 3 inches thick.

During the Pineville flood of 1977, there was about 12 to 15 feet of water over the top of the burial site. The flood damaged the original marker and it was unknown if the items within the capsule would have been damaged, but once opened, it was with a collective sigh of relief that everything was still remarkably left intact.

On top of the time capsule items being on display, the museum will also be selling the just published Bell County Pictorial History book. The book is 240 pages and hardbound with over 240 pages of photos of local people and locations. Many of the photos within were sent by families and businesses as well as chosen from museum archives.

Guest Chuck Owens will be presenting a slide show from his massive collection of local photographs. This presentation will run throughout the day.

Admission to the event is free, but donations are welcome. The price of the book is $49.95 with tax and the museum will be welcoming guests starting at 2 p.m. until 6 p.m.