DID YOU KNOW?
2014 will be a year to remember in Wareham’s history. In the past, the Town created a unique method to preserve a bit of its local lore. Did you know that during the country’s Bicentennial Celebration, on July 6, 1975, the Town’s Bicentennial Commission buried a time capsule in Besse Park to be opened in 2075? The capsule is marked with a bronze plaque which portrays the dates and an image of the town seal.
Included in the capsule are a history of the Wareham Minutemen and Militia and the names of Revolutionary War veterans. Photos of Wareham’s notables at the time along with a copy of the town’s bylaws and a copy of the speech made by Selectman Claire J. McWilliams at the event were also included. Local newspapers added to the time capsule include “The Story of Wareham,” which appeared in the Wareham Trade Fair, March, 1965, and from 1975 the Onset Bay Summer Times, the Courier, the New Bedford Standard Times and the Cape Cod Independent.
In addition, items from Tobey Hospital, the Chamber of Commerce, the High School, Harvest Moon organization, local churches, Wareham Garden Club, Historical Society, Veteran Services and the Council on Aging as well as a Bicentennial medal from the National Bank of Wareham, a 1975 street list, town reports, and 15 cents in coins were included in the time capsule.