On Saturday, November 2, 2019, Riverside Township celebrated the 125th Anniversary of the historic Town Hall building in downtown Riverside, complete with a recreation of some of the original events from the building’s dedication in 1894. There was a procession to the building and a Masonic-led ceremony to rededicate the building.
A time capsule that was placed behind the building’s cornerstone was opened and its contents revealed. Unfortunately, the capsule itself and many objects inside were heavily damaged or did not survive due to years of water damage. Salvageable items from the time capsule are currently on display in the first-floor hallway of the Town Hall.
A new, waterproof time capsule is set to be resealed back into the cornerstone this spring when weather permits. Items included in the new time capsule are a 2019 U.S. Mint coin proof set, a pin commemorating Stephen F. Oakley, 100th Grand Master of the Masonic Grand Lodge of Illinois, business cards of current Elected Officials and of the Free Masons who conducted the rededication, and other small items of memorabilia of the Township.
The Township would also like to congratulate the winners of the Essay/Poetry Contest for the Town Hall’s anniversary. Contestants were asked to present to future generations “What Life is Like in Riverside Township, Illinois in 2019.” 1st Place was awarded to Alexandra Kashperovetska, a 5th grader at Central School, 2nd Place was awarded to Julius Graham, a 4th grader at Ames School, and 3rd Place went to Carly Romero, a 5th grader at Ames. A laminated copy of their writings and a photo of each student will be included in the new time capsule.
We thank Rick Rovella of Riverside Garage and others who donated their time and effort to make the anniversary event a success. A special “thank you” goes to the late Deputy Fire Chief of Riverside, Bill Sherman. Through his historical knowledge and passion, he was instrumental in the discovery of the original time capsule and a good portion of this event could not have happened without his enthusiastic involvement.
Pictures from the event can be seen on the Township’s website and video of the rededication ceremony can be viewed online at www.facebook.com/riversidetownshipIL.
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