While sipping my morning coffee on January 9th, 2022, I listened to the wind howl outside my window. As the trees blew ferociously with winds topping over 35 mph, my mind wandered back to my very first metal detecting permission, The 1925 Grade School.

Yearning for more treasures, I layered up, gathered my fully charged Minelab Equinox 800, my Garrett Pro Pointer AT pin pointer, my favorite hand lesche and finds bag. I packed up the truck to go enjoy another treasure hunt. I headed out and prepared my mind for what would be yet another incredible day at this new dig site.

Each and every day I have used my Minelab Equino 800 metal detector, at this permission, it has yielded incredible treasures. Precious treasures like old mercury dimes, war nickels, silver quarters, buffalo nickels, civil war bullets, foreign coins, rare silver rings and so much more.

The 1925 Grade School has already gifted me 8 bucket list items including my first pocket knife, Monopoly piece, pocket watch cover, antique shoe buckle, first war nickel, first silver half, foreign coins too. First silver trifecta with an incredible mercury dime, war nickel and Walking Liberty Half all in 1 afternoon.

I setup my Minelab Equinox 800 in Field 2, default settings and tweak the VDI discrimination to notch everything out up to 23 seeking to only “cherry pick” more silver as I had done days prior successfully. A good ground balance and away I went searching for the next incredible find that lies below. I instantly reach a state of zen as this new permission is just like heaven. Peaceful, quiet. With mind calm, but winds vicious, I am determined to make another miraculous discovery.

The morning starts off in fantastic fashion as I reveal 2 beautiful Mercury dimes from the earth. Both Mercury dimes dated 1941. One very oxidized and one not so much. The oxidized dime is one of the most detailed and best conditioned Mercury dimes I have in my treasure collection. Amazing start to an incredible day, but I sense there is still more fantastic treasure to be discovered!

Around noon I get yet another high tone signal screaming from my Minelab Equinox 800 metal detector. A very solid, but rough sounding 24-28 VDI rings from the Nox. I begin to dig. At first I remove a nice plug about 8-10 inches round and a bit over 6 inches deep and head straight in with my Garrett Pro Pointer AT. The Garrett advises me there is metal near, so I keep on digging! The first 2 scoops from the hole reveal a bottle. Curious, I continue with caution. As more of the bottle is revealed, I soon realize it is a mason jar with a lid. I continue to reveal the jar and discover there is a message in the bottle! As my heart rate increases, I continue to carefully dig deeper and finally release the jar from mother nature’s grip! WOW! A jar with a message in the bottle! How exciting!! What could the message say? Who could have written the message! Overrun with emotion, I pack up my gear and head home to discover what amazing treasure I have just recovered. A time capsule found metal detecting!

Once home, the cleanup begins. I start with the jar and carefully wash the dirt away showing even more of the letter inside. I peer at it closely and realize there is writing on the letter! I slowly, but carefully, open the old pewter topped jar with ceramic insert and gently remove the letter inside. Immediately after, I understand that I must open the letter while it is still damp from the liquids inside the mason jar. If I fail to unfold the letter now, it may be severely damaged trying to attempt this once dry. I manage to get the letter open. At the top of the letter reads “The Class of 1950” along with a name Mr. W Parker. On the letter is a list of names of the graduating class of 1950 from the Grade School.

The “Class of 1950”

Mr. W. Parker (Principal)

Carol Harris
J.W. Miller
Juanita Leslie
Leon Weber
Mary Ann Weir
J. White
Paul Kuhn
Linda Yearby
Johnny Ash
Dorothy White

WHAT AN AMAZING DISCOVERY!!! I immediately jump on the phone and call the land owners who have graciously given me permission to dig the grade school and tell them about the treasure found. They are “over the moon” excited and we begin to analyze the names on the list since they are kin to many of the families in the area. The research begins!! Who are these people, are they still alive, would they remember this buried time capsule? The questions run through our heads so we dig deeper yet.

Soon, we are hot on the trail of identifying the names of the people on the list. Unfortunately we discover 6 of the people are deceased, 3 unknown and 1 person is still ALIVE! All 10 kids graduate from Chrisney High School in 1954. Several with basketball honors. One of the names on the list stands out. LINDA YEARBY. We learn that Linda, after graduating, went on to play basketball for the Texas Cowgirls! The Texas Cowgirls are recognized by several local Governors and local media for their contributions.

Linda then ventures on in her life to also play basketball for the Shooting Stars organization. Linda apparently was very in touch with charities, gifting and trying to do more for others. Linda also gets involved with Elvera “Peps” Neuman to form and play on the Arkansas Gems women’s professional basketball team until 1988.

Linda is alive and well and currently residing in Florida. We have attempted to reach out to Linda several times without much success on social media. We are very interested to learn if Linda remembers the Time Capsule and the story of her life. Unfortunately we have not had much success in this portion of the discovery.

I intend to put the Time Capsule back in it’s place including the original letter and a copy rewritten as the original has become very faded, discolored and quite difficult to read. I will also include my story of how I found the Time Capsule on January 9th, 2022, a 1950 wheat cent penny I found at the Grade School and a 1950 Rosie dime that was discovered very near the school. I will incapsulate the original letter and my discovery story in a vacuum sealed bag and put all the items back in the original jar and return it to the earth for the next generation detectorist to discover. I hope that it brings them as much joy as I have experienced with this incredible time capsule found metal detecting.

I hope you have enjoyed my Time Capsule discovery and have included 2 live dig videos as well. The first video is just the discovery of the time capsule and the 2nd video is the discovery and the whole story as described above in this blog. My name is BHiggles and I have only been metal detecting a little over 1 year now using the Minelab Equinox 800 metal detector. Read other blogs.

TIME CAPSULE FOUND METAL DETECTING