LAHARPE — Time capsules almost never survive the ravages of time, noted Kurtis Russell, director of the Allen County Historical Society.
That proved to be the case when a metal box was found underneath the cornerstone of the old LaHarpe Methodist Episcopal Church. The church is being demolished, and owner Joe Works agreed to donate the cornerstone to the historical society.
Russell immediately noticed the box and its contents – all made of paper – had suffered water damage.
A look inside revealed a small old Bible that had deteriorated nearly to dust, the remains of a small booklet with national news, and three newspapers from October 1904, the year the cornerstone was laid.
“I’m surprised to see the newspapers. They’re usually the first to go,” Russell said of his experience reviewing time capsules.
The newspapers included an edition of The Iola Daily Register from Oct. 4, 1904; The LaHarpe Journal from Oct. 6, 1904; and The Kansas Review, also a LaHarpe paper, from Oct. 4, 1904.
An article in The LaHarpe Journal described plans for the church: “Next Friday afternoon at four o’clock the Methodist of LaHarpe will lay the cornerstone to their new church. Rev. I.B. Pulliam, pastor of the Baldwin church, will conduct the ceremonies and deliver an address which will be accompanied by music by the male quartette. The new church when completed will be one of the finest in the district and it is with a just pride that the Methodists of LaHarpe look forward to its completion of which the laying of the cornerstone is a customary step.”
An article in the next column reported a census taker found 3,016 people and 687 houses within the city limits of LaHarpe. The population had grown by 445 since the previous year.
Another article told of a fire at the old Storey building, which caused the fire bell to be used for the first time. The article said the fire began in a closet and the cause was unknown, “but it is supposed that matches had been dropped in the closet and were set off by rats.”
WORKS, co-founder and recently retired president of B&W Trailer Hitches in Humboldt, purchased the 119-year old church building and has been demolishing it brick by brick.
He has already removed the stained glass windows and plans to use the windows and bricks for other projects.
Methodists first came to the LaHarpe community in the 1880s. The church building was completed about a year after the cornerstone was laid in 1904 and dedicated in July 1905.
Gas was piped in about five years later; the building was wired for electricity in November 1921.
The building underwent an extensive remodel in 1960.
In its heyday, the church was a sight to behold, filled with ornate woodwork and curved wooden pews.
