CLINTON — On the last day of August of 1893, as the new DeWitt County courthouse cornerstone was ceremoniously laid, the Hon. Clifton H. Moore delivered an address to an enthusiastic crowd.  It was a day of great celebration, for the people of DeWitt County were to have one of the finest courthouses in all of Illinois. 

Also at the time, an array of items were collected to fill the metal box that was to serve as a time capsule to be tucked away inside the cornerstone.  

Items included a one-cent postcard addressed “To Posterity,” an 1817 coin, business cards, local newspapers and advertising material, Confederate currency, a 1778 continental bank note, a Civil War bullet and roster, a plug of tobacco, numerous photographic images, and other items.

Currently, the collection of artifacts is on exhibit at the C.H. Moore Homestead DeWitt County Museum, 219 E. Woodlawn, in Clinton, through a loan agreement with the County of DeWitt.  When the exhibit was unveiled in autumn 2017, it was the first time the collection was put on display for public viewing.  

The exhibit is scheduled to close December 30.  After that date, the collection will be returned to the county.

 Those interested in viewing the exhibit before it closes are encouraged to visit the museum.  

Regular museum hours are Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and 1 p.m.-5 p.m., Sunday.  The exhibit can also be seen during the museum’s holiday candlelight tours, which take place from 5-8 p.m., November 23 and 30, as well as December 7, 14, and 21.  

For more information, contact the museum at (217) 935-6066.