A box that had never borne witness to a car starter, a binder clip or a light switch until it was unearthed months ago was opened and its contents revealed on Tuesday.

The tin box, which had previously been buried under the pedestal base of the bronze Union soldier statue near the state Capitol building’s main steps, contained a time capsule with materials from Sept. 6, 1907, according to a joint news release from History Colorado and Gov. Jared Polis.

Inside the capsule were editions of The Rocky Mountain News, The Denver Post, The Denver Republican, and The Denver Times from that date, which was when the pedestal and base of the statue were first installed, according to the release. The capsule also contained a two-page letter, business cards, and a bound booklet of state legislation that enacted the monument’s installation.

The statue, which had stood outside the Capitol building since 1909, was toppled in 2020 during protests in the wake of George Floyd’s killing. Despite its depiction of a Union Civil War soldier, a list of “Battles and Engagements” on the statue’s pedestal had garnered controversy for its inclusion of “Sand Creek,” which History Colorado describes as a massacre of over 230 Native Americans at the hands of U.S. Army personnel.

“We must always approach the history of our monuments and memorials with reverence and respect,” said History Colorado President and CEO Dawn DiPrince in the release. “In the case of this humble tin box, we didn’t know if we would be encountering the history of war veterans or of the Sand Creek Massacre.”

After the state legislature approved a new memorial last year in remembrance of Sand Creek, Capitol staff had been working with a crane crew to remove the old monument’s base when they unexpectedly discovered the box that had been placed in a hole underneath, according to the release.

The box then underwent a CT scan at the University of Colorado Research and Imaging Center in Aurora as a precaution before it was opened Tuesday on live television by Polis, as well as by staff from History Colorado and the legislature, and representatives from the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.

“As we approach our 150th birthday, now is the time for Colorado to honor and learn from our history, and celebrate the incredible progress we have made in building a Colorado for all,” Polis said in the release. “Today’s discovery gave us better insight into the history and construction of the statue, and life in Colorado over 117 years ago.”

The statue, “On Guard,” was reinstalled at History Colorado’s downtown Denver flagship museum soon after it was toppled in 2020, according to the release. The organization is also working with the Department of Veterans and Military Affairs to restore the pedestal so it can be reinstalled in a different location and open to the public.