MACON, Ga. — Atrium Health Navicent opened a 50-year-old time capsule from 1973 and one from 1916. Both contained newspaper clippings and other items from the years.
"I'm a big history buff as well so that's what I really wanted to come see 1916, see what the coins look like, what was in the newspaper at the time," Amanda McDaniel said.
McDaniel is the department secretary for the OBGYN department of the hospital. Her mother, Paula Carroll used to work at the then-named Macon Hospital.
McDaniel came to the capsule opening for the history. Her mother informed her, she put a baby photo of her in the 1973 time capsule.
"I thought I would just put my name out there because sometimes it helps, there's some context to a picture, you know? Instead of it just being a random person put in there. And particularly since I still work here, I thought that was kind of important," McDaniel said.
The back of the photo read, "Amanda Carroll, 8 months old" but the picture is hard to see because of water damage.
Inside the 1916 capsule, there were deeds of trust to Macon Hospital, old coins, and a copy of a 1916 edition of the Macon Telegraph.
In the 1973 capsule, there was a newspaper article from the great storm of 1973, brochures from the hospital's nursing program, and more.
Atrium Health Navicent president and CEO Delvecchio Finley helped show the items. He says being able to touch the pieces brings a sense of connection.
"To read the pieces about, you know, things that happened in Fort Valley, things that happened here in Macon, things that happened across the region not just in our hospital but certainly things within the hospital as well. It's just really exciting," Finley said.
The hospital plans to put together another time capsule later this fall.