Kootenai County history revealed

Liz Boutin is no stranger to historical artifacts. 

A museum professional and fine artist, Boutin said she's handled Egyptian and Greek items that date back to antiquity. But she had a new experience this summer, after local historical preservationists retrieved a 100-year time capsule from inside the outer wall of the old Kootenai County courthouse. 

"Opening a time capsule was not on my bingo card," Boutin told a crowd in the Community Room at the Coeur d'Alene Public Library on Tuesday night. "I never thought it would happen." 

Community members gathered Wednesday to see a selection of the paper items that spent a century sealed inside what newspapers of the time called a "casket." 

The documents that were stored away included an autographed page from the Coeur d'Alene High School annual, a list of Kootenai County officials, an architectural illustration of the Kootenai County courthouse and an invitation to the laying of the cornerstone and more. 

Kenny Dingman and Merry Ruth were among the community members who lined up to see the documents, which were displayed in the Community Room beneath a wall covered in photos from the area's history. The husband and wife, both born and raised in Coeur d'Alene, have been members of the Museum of North Idaho for decades. 

"We like local history," Ruth said. "It's important." 

Ruth noted that the time capsule included newspapers from across Kootenai County and not only Coeur d'Alene publications. 

"It's interesting seeing what they thought was important," she said. 

Boutin said the careful process of cutting open the casket took about an hour. She wore nitrile gloves when removing the papers from inside the box so they wouldn't be damaged. 

"These papers were in great shape," she said. "I was thoroughly amazed." 

After their removal from the casket, the items were laid out and allowed to acclimate to their new environment. Then they were placed inside protective sleeves. 

For Boutin, a fourth-generation Kootenai County resident and member of the Kootenai County Historic Preservation Commission, seeing the contents of the time capsule was especially significant. One of her ancestors was there the day the casket was sealed inside the courthouse's cornerstone. 

"I'm glad I was able to save all these items," she said. 

Members of the Kootenai County Historical Preservation Commission and the Coeur d'Alene Historical Preservation Commission served on a joint committee that recovered the original time capsule and recently interred a new time capsule, to be opened in 2126. 

Jonathan Mueller, chair of the Kootenai County Historical Preservation Commission, described for the crowd the new time capsule, which is buried on the courthouse grounds. 

The steel box is tightly sealed against the elements. It's bigger than the original time capsule, Mueller said, and contains a variety of items, including letters from local government and education leaders, copies of newspapers, items donated by different area historic societies and a copy of a poem titled “Revival,” written for the occasion by Coeur d’Alene Poet Laureate Jennifer Passaro.