Metal Cornerstone Box
This small metal box was made by Thomas R. Freeman, a tinner with Vincent & Roberts hardware store. It was used as a time capsule, and it was placed in the cornerstone of the Sioux Falls Stockyards Company packing house on July 11, 1890. The box contained newspapers from across the country advertising Sioux Falls, various other Sioux Falls promotional items, a list of directors and officers of the Sioux Falls Stockyards Company, images of prominent Sioux Falls buildings, the charter for Sioux Falls Village, and several other photographs.
The time capsule was removed in 1939, when the large quartzite packing house was demolished as part of a WPA project. Stones from this building can still be seen in parks throughout Sioux Falls.
The cornerstone, time capsule, and contents are currently on display at the Pettigrew Home & Museum as part of the Industrial Crash to Retail Cash: The Story of South Sioux Falls exhibit.