A $1 million check, a birth certificate dating back to 2013 and other items will be sealed in a time capsule today at the Kinzua Bridge State Park near Mount Jewett.
The Kinzua Bridge Foundation will host a ceremony starting at 5:30 p.m. at the visitor center to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the state park.
The sealing of the time capsule was intended to happen in 2013, the golden anniversary of the park, but had been delayed because of the construction of the visitor’s center, said Mary Ann Burggraf, executive director of the Kinzua Bridge Foundation.
“Of course, the check will have no value in 50 years. But it’s unique,” Burggraf said.
The 339-acre state park features a skywalk and the remnants of the 2,053-foot long viaduct that was first built of iron in 1882, and then reconstructed of steel in 1900.
Freight traffic ceased operations in 1959. In 1963, then-Gov. William Scranton signed a law that established the Kinzua Bridge State Park, which officially opened in 1970. In 1977, the Kinzua Viaduct was put on the National Register of Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks.
From 1987 until 2002, people could travel via excursion train from Kane through the Allegheny National Forest, crossing the Kinzua Viaduct.
The bridge was heavily damaged in an F-1 tornado in the summer of 2003, and in as little as 30 seconds, 11 of the 20 towers came crashing down. The railroad bridge had been originally built as an alternative to putting in an additional 8 miles of track over rough terrain along the line leading to McKean County’s coal, timber and oil lands.
Today, the state park has six restored, original towers and a pedestrian walkway that leads to a 225-foot high observation deck with a partial glass floor. A grand opening took place in 2011.
The visitor’s center opened last year and has themed exhibits based on geography of the area, the viaduct as a symbol of engineering industry advances that supported the Industrial Revolution, and an inspiring reminder of the inventiveness, resourcefulness and “can do” spirit of the people of the late 1800s, and the unique opportunities for experiencing natural beauty, observing wildlife and participating in recreational activities at Kinzua Bridge State Park and the greater Pennsylvania Wilds.
The time capsule is expected to be reopened in September of 2063, Burggraf said.
“It’s pretty significant having a time capsule,” she said.
The Kinzua Bridge Foundation will also meet at 5 p.m. today for a meeting, which is open to the public.
For more information about the state park, see http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us or for additional information about the Kinzua Bridge Foundation, see www.kinzuabridgefoundation.com
