By Rockland Daily Staff

Exactly 50 years ago today, on May 16, 1976, hundreds of residents gathered in the heart of Monsey for one of the most fascinating and now largely forgotten moments in the town’s history.

At the small triangular island located at the corner of Grove Street and Saddle River Road, directly across from the Monsey Fire Department, local officials, historians, veterans, and residents assembled for the ceremonial reopening of a historic time capsule that had originally been buried exactly 100 years earlier during America’s 1876 Centennial celebration.

As America marked its Bicentennial - 200 years since the founding of the United States - Monsey became one of the few communities in the country able to literally reopen a preserved piece of its own past.

When the original capsule was unearthed, residents discovered remarkably preserved artifacts from 19th century Monsey, including coins, newspapers, maps, train tickets, photographs, business advertisements, and memorabilia connected to the Revolutionary War era. Historians at the time were astonished by how well the contents survived after remaining underground for a full century.

The emotional and patriotic ceremony drew widespread attention throughout Rockland County. An orchestra performed patriotic songs while ceremonial volleys were fired into the air before the capsule was publicly opened and its contents displayed for the crowds.

Among the speakers that day was legendary Monsey askan Rabbi Yehuda “Yudel” Weberman z"l, who represented Holocaust survivors and the growing Orthodox Jewish community in Monsey. Rabbi Weberman spoke emotionally about the gratitude felt toward America by Jews who survived the destruction of Europe and found freedom and opportunity in the United States.

The excitement surrounding the historic discovery inspired residents later that same year, in November 1976, to create and bury a brand-new time capsule meant for future generations. That second capsule - which remains buried beneath the same quiet traffic island today - is scheduled to be reopened in the year 2076 during America’s 300th anniversary celebrations.

Few people passing the location today realize that beneath the center of Monsey lies what may now be a historical treasure worth tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Now, exactly 50 years after the historic May 16, 1976 ceremony, Rockland Daily is launching a special ongoing history series exploring the forgotten stories, people, landmarks, and hidden moments connected to Monsey’s famous time capsule and the town’s remarkable transformation over the decades.

In the weeks and months ahead - leading up to the 50-year anniversary this November of the current capsule being buried underground - Rockland Daily will continue uncovering rare photographs, historical details, untold stories, and memories tied to one of Monsey’s most unique hidden treasures.

Because preserving local history means preserving the story of our community itself.