The City of Page celebrated fifty years of incorporation on March 1, 2025, by opening a time capsule that was buried in 1977. Time Capsules are containers that are buried in the ground at one time in history and dug up years and even decades later. Most people never witness the opening of a time capsule, and a large crowd of people were able to see one open publicly. Spectators included current and former residents and visitors to the area, many happening to discover the event.
Left to right, photos by Phil Clark:
The bronze plaque at the top of a concrete monument heralded the day the time capsule was to be opened.
Uncle Sam joins the parade.
Page Steel, one of the oldest businesses in Page, carries a large steel pipe.
Red Heritage dance troupe performs on Lake Powell Boulevard.
One of three old time tractors reminded parade watchers of days gone by.
A park ranger hands out stickers as a “T-Rex” assists.
The time capsule and its contents.
Amanda Boston holds open a photo album.
Some fifty years ago, a steel box, around the size of a large briefcase, was buried in front of Page City Hall, under a concrete monument with a plaque. The bronze plaque on the monument reads “City of Page Time Capsule Buried March 1, 1975, Opened March 1, 2025.” People doing business with City Hall for the last fifty years saw the plaque and many wondered what might be contained in a time capsule from that time. Some residents speculated if there might be an 8-Track tape, a “Pet Rock” or other popular items of the day.
Page was originally established in 1957 and was called “Government Camp” as a place for workers and their families to live while building Glen Canyon Dam and Bridge. According to the City of Page, the city occupies Manson Mesa and nearby land. The roughly 17 square miles was traded with the Navajo Nation for land in New Mexico. The dam and bridge were completed by 1963 when Lake Powell started to fill behind the dam. In 1975, some 4,000 people lived in Page. According to World Population Review, the 2024 population of Page is 7,287.
March 1, 2025, started as perfect a day as one might expect in early March. The calm, clear morning was perfect weather for a large turnout for the 50th anniversary parade and time capsule opening. Many current residents of Page were joined by former residents. Visitors also came to see what was going to happen. One man wore his high school letter jacket from 1976, showing that it still fits. Others brought yearbooks and other mementos from the late 1960s and 1970s. In 1975 Page was undergoing a growth spurt as the Navajo Generating Station was being built and popularity for Lake Powell was starting to take hold. Fifty years ago, the lake elevation was 3645.41 feet and rising.
Before the time capsule was opened, there was a parade on Lake Powell Blvd with a large variety of floats and vehicles from local businesses, residents and others celebrating Page’s fifty years of being a city. One of the floats was filled with family members descending from the mayor of Page, on March 1, 1975, Lawrence O’Neill.
The parade started from Page Memorial Park and followed parts North and South Navajo and Lake Powell Blvd. Members of the Warner family rode in two 1920s era Fords, displaying a banner that read “Warner Family Established 1958.” Page Steel drove a very long semi-truck and trailer with an exceptionally long, large aqua colored steel pipe boasting large black letters spelling “WE’VE BEEN HERE A LOOOONG TIME!” Native dancers from Red Heritage danced along the parade route and golf carts zig zagged down the boulevard. When the parade ended many of the spectators walked the short distance to Page City Hall to find a seat and prepare to witness the opening of the time capsule. The open-air amphitheater was overflowing with spectators, some of whom remembered to bring folding chairs.
Current Mayor Steven Kidman welcomed the audience and led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance. Judy Begay, District 4 Chair read a county proclamation for the event. Lawrence O’Neill Jr., the 1975 mayor’s son, spoke about how it was to grow up in Page. Eli Secody introduced himself in the traditional Navajo manner both in both Navajo and English. Secody prayed a ceremonial prayer and blessed the event with corn pollen. Vice Mayor, Mike Farrow, presented the City of Page Proclamation.
The time capsule was on display in front of the audience. It was very rusty, but it was intact. Amanda Boston, Education Manager for the Powell Museum and Archives, opened the box. The lid covered the top of the box and had a rubber seal. Boston put on white cotton archival gloves to prevent any damage to the box and gently removed the lid, and carefully removed contents from the box, raising each piece for the audience to see. One of the first pieces of paper inside the box, a small piece of typewritten paper read: “This Time-Capsule was prepared and sealed by John S. Olson, Page Fire Chief on February 25, 1977. The container was vacuumed to -20PSIG for a period of 3 Hours and was then filled with Nitrogen Gas to a pressure of 5 PSIG. God bless you all!” The contents were listed on a framed document on the table and inside the box:
Bicentennial Patch
Incorporation Ceremony Tapes
Bicentennial 25 cent coin
Five bottles of seed samples
Red white and blue ribbons from the ribbon cutting ceremony of city building on March 1, 1976
One Pack Vostrum pictures and electronic modules
One pack of local newspapers about the Bicentennial and Incorporation
City of Page facts and figures
Bicentennial fifty cent piece
Bicentennial dollar coin
Public Law 485-84 (legislation to authorize the Colorado River Storage Project, 1956)
Public Law 868-85 (land exchange for Manson Mesa, 1958)
Incorporation hearing SER.93-34 October 20, 1973
March 22, 1975 photographs
March 1, 1976 photographs
Page Police Department patch
Page Fire Department patch
Calendar
(Page) First birthday program
Arizona bicentennial commission letter, information and post card
Coconino Board of Supervisors minutes and resolution dated December 31, 1974
As the items were removed and placed on the table, it became clear that, despite the steel box and lid having a rubber seal and being pressurized with nitrogen gas, the box lost its watertightness, and contents didn’t survive as well as city officials in 1977 might have hoped. Once Boston removed most of the items, the audience was invited to view the contents and lined up to take their turns gazing at artifacts from a previous century.
The time capsule and its contents are planned to be displayed for the rest of 2025 at the Page Public Library, after curators evaluate and stabilize the items. The artifacts’ final resting place will be with the Powell Museum and Archives. The City of Page will be celebrating its Golden Anniversary in 2025 with many activities. For more information about the celebrations planned, go to visitpageaz.com/ city-of-page-50th-anniversaray- celebration. This and other events are listed at events.cityofpage.org or call the City of Page at (928) 645-8861.
