‘Austin Chronicle’ Opens Time Capsule Before I-35 Edges Out Historic Building
A Glimpse of the Past from Austin’s Beloved Alt-Weekly
The historic home of the ‘Austin Chronicle’ is about to make way for progress as the I-35 highway expansion nears. But before the building becomes a casualty of development, current and former employees united to unlock a treasure trove: a time capsule buried within the office quarters back in 1999.
The Time Capsule Unveiling
Publisher Nick Barbaro invited Chronicle’s staff, both past and present, to one final event in the old office prior to its scheduled demolition. The occasion was centered around the opening of a time capsule, an artifact planted into the infrastructure 25 years ago, its contents an unknown throwback to the past.
Amid a gathering of former coworkers and friends, all attendees keenly anticipated the unearthing of the time capsule’s contents. With four decades of Chronicle history sprinkled throughout the crowd, the anticipation was palpable, as nobody could quite recall what the capsule contained.
The Unwrapping of History
Following an hour of strenuous excavation work, the capsule finally revealed its secrets. The contents included a worn-out copy of The Austin Chronicle, an autographed volleyball, a VHS tape, a t-shirt, an Ohio license plate, Mardi Gras beads, a floppy disk, and a bumper sticker reading “Don’t Mess with Texas Women.” There was also a Coca-Cola can fashioned into a pipe, possibly an homage to the rumored joint that was supposed to be part of the payload.
A Goodbye to the Historic Austin Chronicle Building
The joy and intrigue surrounding the discovery of each item underscored the deeper importance of the gathering. It was a farewell to the building that had housed the Chronicle for 33 years, a place where many had spent countless hours working and creating.
Even with the inevitable progression of development on the horizon, there was a unifying sentiment in hoping that the removal process of the sturdy Chronicle building would have some resistance. It was a beacon of robust journalism and a symbol of Austin’s ever-evolving character. Its impact has been deeply imprinted in the hearts of those who worked there, and surely, in the stories that filled its time capsule.
