If you’ve ever wondered what a time capsule would look like, then this is how it would probably look.
Old photos, messages, and things that would come in handy in a certain time period.
Like a civil defense card. Curious about what that would be? Then, let’s take a look at a teenage girl’s purse in the late 50s.
Last year, in the floorboards of League City School, a purse was found while the gym of the school was undergoing renovations.
The contractor, Armando Rodriguez, was working on the gym floor when he noticed there was something hidden underneath the floorboards.
It was a plastic purse studded with rhinestones, which had been partially chewed by rodents on the outside, but on the inside, it was still in great condition.
Opening the purse, they found inside a bright red wallet full of photos, two handkerchiefs, pencils, tools for nail care, and a civil defense card, among others.
The civil defense card was used during the Cold War to show that the person had been trained in case of a national emergency.
There was also a calendar turned to April 1959. This probably means that the purse got lost that month and year.
It belonged to a teenage girl, whose photos and name were inside. It was Beverly Williams.
The purse and its contents were given to League City officials, who had initially ordered the renovation.
As the city spokesperson Sarah Osborne said, she didn’t know anyone with the name Beverly Williams, and she also got a negative answer when asking others about it.
So, the handbag was taken to the City Hall and stored there in hopes that someone would go looking for it.
At the grand opening of the League City Community Center in September, Osborne put the bag and its contents on display, hoping that someone would recognize the person in the photo.
But again, no luck.
The name Beverly Williams was not even found in yearbooks or school records.
Then, Richard Lewis, vice president of the League City Historical Society, was asked to help.
The man was happy to take up the challenge, so he started immediately.
He posted a video of the findings on Facebook and, within a few hours, someone contacted him regarding the lost purse.
It turned out the girl could not be found in old yearbooks because her full name was Andrea Beverly Williams.
Sadly, she passed in 2015, but she still has lots of family members who are interested in this time capsule she left behind.
Her nine children and numerous grandchildren were happy to find something that belonged to their beloved mother and grandma.
“To catch a glimpse into our mom’s life as a teenager was a sweet surprise,” her daughter, Deborah Hicks told the Washington Post.
It was a bittersweet coincidence that they found out about the purse two days after what would have been their mother’s 77th birthday.
Williams’ family decided to donate the purse and its content to the League City Historical Society so that others can have the chance to get a glimpse of what being a 13-year-old girl meant back in the 50s.
Watch the video below from Inside Edition to get a closer look at the purse’s contents!
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