Sheldon, a small city in Iowa, was gearing up to celebrate its 150th anniversary on Friday when community leaders realized that the centerpiece for the big event was missing.
A time capsule, buried 50 years ago, is still underground and no one was sure where it was located, The Associated Press reported. The latest reports out of Sheldon reveal the city may have gotten out of the mess.
“We’re trying to find instructions on exactly where it’s at before we just start digging,” said Sheldon Chamber of Commerce Director Ashley Nordahl earlier, per the report. “We think we know where it is, but to dig up concrete in the park when we have such a big event going on, we’re just postponing that to a little bit later in the year.”
After the news made headlines, Nordahl said that the capsule being lost was “a big misunderstanding,” per Radio Iowa.
According to Nordahl, the city officials always knew where it was, but it was a matter of how to retrieve it. She also said that all the ceremonies and events will carry on as planned.
The time capsule was buried during the city’s centennial celebration. Nordahl had said the city had every intention of finding it, and they did find it.
As of Wednesday, the Chamber of Commerce director said that they unburied the capsule, which is now in the city’s possession.
Sheldon was founded in 1873. It has a population of over 5,500.