The Towns County Historical Society’s America 250 Time Capsule Project invites the community to take part in an intergenerational conversation about history, citizenship, and the future of Towns County. Created in recognition of the 250th anniversary of the United States, the project will preserve local voices, youth artwork, photographs, and reflections from 2026 for future generations to open and interpret in 2076.

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Through this project, residents will be invited to reflect on what freedom, citizenship, community, and democracy mean in their lives today. Handwritten letters will document the memories and perspectives of Towns County residents, while photographs of local landscapes, buildings, and community spaces will help future generations understand what Towns County looked like during this moment in history.

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A major part of the project will center on youth participation. Students and young people were invited to create quilt squares representing their vision of Towns County and America in 2026. These individual pieces will become part of a larger community story, preserving the voices of today’s youth while inviting young people in 2076 to continue the tradition.

The completed time capsule will include a printed yearbook, digital archive materials, letters, photographs, hand-drawn youth quilt squares, and instructions for future generations to continue the project. Together, these items will create a “civic handoff” from the people of 2026 to the people of 2076, preserving how our community understood its past, present, and hopes for the future.

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All project activities will be free and open to the public, with opportunities for residents, students, families, and community partners to participate throughout 2026. The time capsule will be publicly displayed before being sealed and buried for future generations to discover.