Whitehall Sesquicentennial Time Capsule Dedication Set  

The Whitehall Sesquicentennial time capsule will be dedicated on Saturday, Oct. 1 at 2 p.m. in front of Whitehall City Hall, 405 E. Colby Street.

The public is invited to attend this historic event when the stainless steel time capsule will be encapsulated into its brick home until it is opened in 2060 – Whitehall’s 200^th birthday and bicentennial year. Mayor Emery “Mac” Hatch, city council members, other local dignitaries and Sesquicentennial committee members will be on hand for the dedication.

The time capsule contains a variety of materials on the 2010 year-long Sesquicentennial effort. It includes many items with the Sesquicentennial logo that were available for sale throughout the year: coasters, trivets, lapel pins, coffee mug, sweatshirt, t-shirt and one of the large blue banners that adorn light poles throughout town. A Sesquicentennial listing of events, the commemorative calendar, the White Lake Beacon Sesquicentennial supplement, a press clippings binder with 63 Sesquicentennial-related articles/ads and a photo album with nearly 170 pictures of Whitehall landmarks, businesses and Sesquicentennial events are also in the time capsule.

Additionally, DVDs describing the Sesquicentennial and chronicling several of the monthly events are included. A self-contained DVD player also went into the capsule to enable future residents to view the DVDs, as this technology likely will be obsolete in 50 years. The DVDs highlight the White River Light Station, the tannery, Pitkin’s history, the history of Whitehall schools, lumbering, Whitehall and the railroads, historic post cards, the Sesquicentennial story, the Centennial parade, Cruz’in, parades and more.

Other items include local author Dan Yakes’ “Looking Aft” book, along with “Land Between The Lakes – Sylvan Beach” and “Logging the White” books with co-author Steven S. Demos; 2010 Whitehall High School yearbook, and a White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce information packet that provides a snapshot of life in Whitehall in 2010.

“It is our hope that these items will give those who live in our beloved city in 2060 a real glimpse of life here in 2010 and how we celebrated our Sesquicentennial,” said Tanya Cabala, chairwoman of the Whitehall Sesquicentennial Committee. “It’s essential that we preserve this history for future generations. The community owes a big ‘thank you’ to Deb Hays, who headed up this part of the Sesquicentennial effort.”

The Sesquicentennial committee had help in preparing these materials for their half-century storage in the time capsule. Registrar Sharon McCullar and Archivist Beryl Gabel of the Lakeshore Museum Center in Muskegon offered advice on the “do’s and don’ts” of proper storage, including using only acid-free wrapping, special pens for labeling and archival boxes etc. They also wrapped each item and positioned them into the capsule.

Information on the time capsule’s location and contents have been registered with The International Time Capsule Society (ITCS). Established in 1990, the ITCS promotes the study and documentation of all types of time capsules worldwide. The group is headquartered at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Georgia.

The stainless steel time capsule measures 20” X 28” X 11” and was built and donated by local resident Brain Hesse and fabricated by Nate Hesse. The brick structure housing the time capsule was built by Dean Evans of Morden Construction, who donated his time for the historic project. The metal plaques adorning both the lid of the time capsule and the lid of the brick structure were donated by Whitehall Products.

Members of the Whitehall Sesquicentennial Committee include Chairwoman Tanya Cabala, Ellie Dennis, Sandy Gibbs, Deb Hays, Essy Kettring, Tom Lusk, Sande Sandel, Norm Ullman, Amy VanLoon, and Edd Whalen. 

 Click here to find out about the City of Whitehall's 
Sesquicentennial Celebration in 2010! 

Congratulations Collette Kufahl as the First Place Winner of the logo contest! 

Whitehall's 150th birthday -- its Sesquicentennial -- was commemorated in a variety of events and celebrations throughout 2010.  A sesquicentennial committee, headed by Councilwoman Tanya Cabala, worked throughout the year to provide events to educate and entertain residents and visitors about Whitehall's important historical past. 

This video was produced in late 2010 to capture all the excitement generated by the historic milestone and to provide a brief snapshot of Whitehall in the early 21st century.  The video recap of Whitehall's sesquicentennial celebration, available as a DVD, will be one of many sesquicentennial items to be included in a time capsule that will be placed on city hall grounds in the summer of 2011.  Stay tuned for details on its formal dedication! 

The time capsule will be opened in 2060 -- Whitehall's bicentennial -- and will provide residents with a glimpse of life and celebrations in 2010 in our fair city of Whitehall.