A Time Capsule Was Buried in the Deepest Part Lake Superior Years Ago – Will Anyone Remember it’s There?

Michigan celebrated its 150th birthday back in 1987. The event was known as the state's sesquicentennial. Part of that celebration included dropping a time capsule into the deepest spot in Lake Superior to be opened 50 years hence. The question is, will anyone remember it's there?

2037 will be here sooner than you realize and Michiganders then will have a little something waiting for them.

The capsule burial was part of a plan hatched by Michigan State University, the state's Sesquicentennial Commission and the Michigan Polar Equator Club.

What's In the Michigan Sesquicentennial Time Capsule?

News coverage at the time told the story of the capsule heading to the deepest part of the lake down to a depth of 1300 feet.

The capsule carries a letter from then-Governor Jim Blanchard. He wrote a letter to the Michiganders of 2037, a year that will mark 200 years of Michigan becoming a state. The letter focuses on the state's natural resources and a strong environmental message.

[H]ow important natural resources really have been to the history of Michigan and will continue to be. The water, the timber, the minerals. And it’s also very important that this capsule is going to be placed at the bottom of the greatest of the Great Lakes, Lake Superior.

You don't need to wait until 2037 to read the letter. Here's a portion of what Governor Blanchard wrote:

Through ignorance we plundered our lands and polluted our waters. Fortunately we discovered what we were doing before it was too late and we took steps to correct it. We understand the outstanding citizens of Michigan have consistently rallied whenever the need arose to overcome our problems, and to turn them into assets....

We hope we have turned over to you the stewardship of our environmental resources in better condition than we received them. And we charge you with the task of keeping our natural resources in our state something of which we can always be proud

The letter concludes with a wish for 2037 Michiganders of continued peace and prosperity.

The capsule now sits off the coast of Munising near Caribou Island. There was speculation at the time that due to the difficult location and passage of time, the capsule may not be able to be located or recoverable in 2037. Only time will tell.

Trekking 1300 feet down in Lake Superior may not be an ideal vacation, but some do make the crossing to the lake's grand Isle Royale, Michigan's out-of-the-way national park. Here are more great natural areas to visit across the nation: