GULF SHORES, Ala. — A special evening of celebration is in store for all who attend the September

Gulf Shores Outdoors & In free concert at the Erie H. Meyer Civic Center, located at the corner of West 19th Avenue and West 2nd Street in Gulf Shores.

Complimentary punch and treats will be served beginning Thursday, Sept. 10, at 6:30 p.m., and a lively concert will begin at 7 featuring a three-generation longtime local performing family, “The Heltons.”

Enjoy songs ranging from gospel, country, pop/rock and even something in between.

This city of Gulf Shores-sponsored event is an opportunity to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the establishment of Baldwin County, and the 25th birthday of the city of Orange Beach. In conjunction with the concert, special recognition of these historic events will take place. Also, a “time capsule” will be opened.

Time Capsule Mystery in Baldwin County

Sealed PVC pipes, a diary entry and a newspaper article from 1976 are the key elements to a mystery from one end of Baldwin County to the other. Currently on exhibit at Gulf Shores Museum is a tube with the inscription “Gulf Shores Time Capsule to be opened year 2009th (sic) 200th birthday of Baldwin County.”

Longtime Gulf Shores area resident and historian, the late Midge Callaway, left a diary with a line mentioning that she attended the sealing of a time capsule to which she contributed letters and photos. John Jackson of the Baldwin County Archives found an article from The Baldwin Times June 3, 1976 issue telling of a time capsule project in four communities.

Here’s what is known so far:

In 1975, Baldwin County formed a Bicentennial Committee. Their mission was to stimulate interest in the United States’ upcoming Bicentennial in 1976 and coordinate countywide events as part of the National Celebration. The Baldwin County Bicentennial Committee sent letters to the county municipalities asking them to form a local Bicentennial board.

In March 1975, Gulf Shores Mayor Gene Ingram appointed a Bicentennial Committee consisting of 10 members, (three from the American Legion, three from the Gulf Shores Woman’s Club, and four from the Gulf Shores Tourist Association). After meeting as a group, the committee approached the Town Council about their plans for Gulf Shores’ contribution to the Bicentennial events for 1976.

The Gulf Shores Bicentennial Committee proposed building of a full-scale replica of the USS Tecumseh and ultimately using it as a tourist attraction. Many events and fundraisers were held to promote this venture, but the final outcome of the project has yet to be discovered.

Meanwhile, in June 1976, many towns throughout the county were creating time capsules. Oscar Rich, chairman of the Special Projects Committee for the Bicentennial, arranged for waterproof cylinders to be placed in at least four cities. Mayors from the cities of Fairhope, Foley, Robertsdale and Bay Minette approved that time capsules be placed in their City Hall. Gulf Shores is not mentioned in any news article uncovered to date.

Since 1999, the “Gulf Shores Bicentennial Capsule” has been in the collection at Gulf Shores Museum. Jeff Beck, city streets supervisor, found the capsule in a loft while renovating a building acquired by the city in 1987. Former Streets Superintendent D. L. Nelson, recalls a time capsule being buried beside the new Town Hall but uncovered almost immediately. He thought it was placed in the town vault and is not aware of it being moved.

Longtime employee Patsy Hollingsworth adds, “I worked in and around the vault from 1980 until after the Adult Activity Center was completed in 1988, and I never saw this PVC capsule until it came to the museum”.

The Mystery Deepens

As the date to open the capsule approached, Special Events personnel began making preparations to protect and store the unknown contents of the PVC pipe. What was the best way to do this? The staff needed more information. How do you “see” into a sealed pipe?

Gulf Coast Imaging Center on Gulf Shores Parkway graciously agreed to X-ray the pipe. They also X-rayed a similar pipe from the vault at Foley City Hall. Foley’s x-rays revealed clearly defined shapes. The results from the Gulf Shores capsule showed nothing other than slightly opaque striations. With no recognizable images, the question was raised as to whether this “time capsule” even had anything inside it.

Additional methods of evaluation were employed. First, the pipe was checked to see if the contents were in one end or the other. Unfortunately, the pipe seemed to be perfectly balanced. The pipe was “tapped” to see if it sounded more solid in one spot or another. There was no discernible difference in feel or sound.

After much debate, one Gulf Shores city department allowed the use of a scope to peer through a tiny hole. The anticipation was great, the discovery was not. The camera did not reveal anything inside the capsule.

There is hope that some clue as to its origin will be revealed when the capsule is opened at the celebrational concert.

Be a part of the ongoing story. They’ve planned a party with outstanding entertainment and hope to see you there.

Call the city of Gulf Shores Special Events Line at (251) 968-1172 for more information about this special event, or to tell them what you know about the city’s history mystery.

You can help with the “rest of the story” of the Gulf Shores Time Capsule.