In October 2022, the community of Lakesite celebrated the city’s 50th anniversary.
Area residents and guests from the surrounding areas gathered to enjoy a special day of festivities while commemorating the history of events that make Lakesite a great place to live. Prior to the celebration, the community was asked to bring unique items to the jubilee celebration that would be placed in a time capsule.
Among the memorabilia now inside the capsule are notes describing residents’ fondest memory of life in Lakesite, including:
- meeting minutes from the first ever meeting of the Lakesite Board of Commissioners on April 20, 1972;
- a map of Hamilton County from around the time the City was incorporated in 1972;
- police badges from the Lakesite Police Department which has long been dissolved;
- and photos of community events such as the 4th of July children’s parade, past Christmas tree lightings, fishing rodeos, and photos of former and current city commissioners.
Also included is a marketing pamphlet advertising homes in the original Lakesite subdivision. At the time, $50 down bought you into “a new life of comfort, fun, and relaxation” according to the Lakesite Land Company, Inc. which built the original subdivision in the 1960s and 1970s.
Well over 300 residential lots were planned and built. Amenities included the Little Chickey fishing pond, a playground, athletic field and community pool – all of those amenities are still frequently used and enjoyed by Lakesite residents today.
More contemporary items such as Covid tests and masks to remind of the pandemic were also included along with a letter from Lakesite’s current Mayor David Howell in which he writes to the mayor in 2072 (100th anniversary).
“I was so excited to be part of a once in a lifetime project such as burying a time capsule in Lakesite,” exclaimed Mayor Howell. “When our City Manager Kirsten Ert asked me to write a letter to the future mayor to be opened 50 years from now, I jumped at the opportunity and said no problem. I quickly realized that it wasn’t as easy as I first thought. What do you say to someone 50 years from now that you’ll never know? What do they want to know about our time?”
As Mayor Howell began to write, he said he just pictured this person reading his letter, so he just shared his heart and what he would say to himself. As Howell finished, he realized that this person very well could be alive right now, maybe just a few years old, maybe living in Lakesite.
“The thought of that made me smile,” said Mayor Howell. “I hope they enjoyed what I shared and somehow it makes them smile too.”
On Tuesday, January 17th, the time capsule with all its special contents safely sealed inside, was on display at the Lakesite Board of Commissioners’ first meeting of 2023. During this meeting, the Commissioners elected David Howell to continue serving as Mayor and Bobby Bishop for the position of Vice Mayor.
Mayor Howell and the Board of Commissioners will select a date in the near future to bury the time capsule outside of City Hall. The capsule will remain there until the City of Lakesite celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2072.