Fort Moore Pioneer Monument Time Capsule

At the time of the monument's construction, there was a letter that stated that they wanted to do a time capsule, and that there were these proposed items that they wanted to put in it, so we were fairly sure that there might be a time capsule. But the fact that it really WAS there is very exciting.—LA County Arts Commission Civic Art Deputy Director of Collections Clare Haggarty

In July of 2018, workers from the Arts Commission and the LA County Department of Public Works unearthed a time capsule hidden in the base of the flag pole of the Fort Moore Pioneer Memorial. The capsule was opened under the guidance conservator Donna Williams of Williams Art Conservation, and it contained an array of photos and documents related to the fort, the memorial project, as well as life in Los Angeles circa 1957. One highlight from the capsule is a manuscript written by a May Belle Davis—who, according to the document, was a driving force behind the monument—that describes the idea and inspiration for the project.

Content Highlights

 

Any item from the following table can be made available to the general public in either a .pdf or .jpg format. If you would like to request a copy, please email civicart@arts.lacounty.gov with the subject line, "ATTN: 1957 Time Capsule" or call (213)-202-3962.

 

Title Date Object Type Height (in) Length (in) Depth (in)
Ground Breaking Ceremony Brochure 1953 Brochure 11 8.5 n/a
News Clipping Regarding Construction Progress, LA Times June 20, 1954 Newspaper 11.75 17.5 n/a
Architects Kazumi Adachi and Dike Nagano showing model of Memorial to Supervisor John Anson Ford 1954 Photograph 8 10 n/a
Construction photograph dated august 24, 1954 1954 Photograph 8 10 n/a
Construction photograph, installation of ceramic veneer on south portion of memorial wall 1956 Photograph 8 10 n/a
Flag raising ceremony 1957 Photograph 8 10 n/a
Completed view of sculptured panel and waterfall 1957 Photograph 8 10 n/a
Full Length view of completed memorial wall June 2, 1957 1958 Photograph 8 10 n/a
March of the Mormon Battalion by Frank A. Golder   Book 8 5.5 1.5
Authority and Scope of Los Angeles County Government   Pamphlet 9 4.75 n/a
Preliminary County Budget, fiscal year ending June 30, 1959 1959 Book 10.75 7.75 1.23
Dedication ceremony brochure and printed program date July 3, 1958 1958 Brochure 6 9 n/a
Memorial dedication remarks by John Anson Ford 1958 Document 8.5 11 n/a
Copies of Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Examiner, Mirror-News, and Herald Express July 3, 1958 Newspaper 22.75 - 21.5 14.5 - 14.75 n/a
Budget for the fiscal year 1926 -27 1926-27 Book 9.25 6.25 n/a
Proposed budget for fiscal year 1958-59 1958-59 Book 10.75 8.375 n/a
Brochure for Los Angeles City Department of Water and Power Water and Power 1902 - 1952 Brochure 12 9 8 pages
56th Annual Report, Department of Water and Power 1957 Brochure 12 9 32 pages
Brochure entitled The Story of Los Angeles is the Struggle for Water and Power Map of 1850 Map 16 18.375 n/a
Pamphlet entitled Guide to Schools and Offices 1957-58 Pamphlet 4 6.5 195 pages
Pamphlet entitled Financial and Statistical Data, Los Angeles City School Districts 1957-58 Pamphlet 3.5 6 41 pages
Board of Education Administration Building 1958 Photograph 8 10 n/a
Central Junior High School 1936 Photograph 8 10 n/a
Los Angeles High School 1891 Photograph 8 10 n/a
Central High School Building 1887 Photograph 8 10 n/a
Central High School 1873 Photograph 8 10 n/a
Quotations from the diaries of Mormon Battalion soldiers 1847 Document 8 11 2 pages
Photograph of painting of the Mormon Battalion by G.M. Ottinger   Photograph 8 11 4 pages
Photograph of Mormon Battalion monument in Salt Lake City, Utah 1927 Photograph 6.5 4.5 n/a
Booklet entitled California Gold 1848 Booklet 9 6.5 31 pages
Pamphlet entitled Memorial Souvenir - Highlights in Heroism   Pamphlet 8.5 10.75 12 pages
Presentation by John F Howells, Jr., President, Sons of Utah Pioneers, of a $2,00 contribution to Fort Moore construction to Supervisor Ford December 6, 1955 Photograph 8 10 n/a
Mormon Battalion parade at Flag Raising Ceremony July 4, 1956 Photograph 8 10 n/a
The conception of the Fort Moore Pioneer Memorial by May Belle T. Davis   Booklet 8.5 11 45 pages
Poem, The Mormon Battalion - In Memoriam by May Belle T. Davis   Document 8.5 11 n/a
News clipping, California Inter-Mountain News, September 15 1953 entitled The Spirit of Fort Moore 1953 Newspaper 16 4 n/a
Historical photographs of flag pole and two cannons on Fort Moore Hill   Photograph 8 10 n/a
Photograph of bronze tablet placed on Fort Moore site by Eschscholtzia Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution July 4, 1916 Photograph 8 10 n/a
The Origin and Purposes of the Native sons and Native Daughter of the Golden West —By Peter Thomas Conmy 1956 Pamphlet 8.5 5.5 n/a
Copies of news stories from the Evening Express dated September 3, 1903 and Los Angeles Times dated December 19, 1903 regarding Native Sons and Daughter' plan to place flagpole on Fort Moore Hill, and A history of the original Fort Moore Flag Raising by J. M Guinn September 3, 1903 Document 8.5 11 n/a
Letter to Miss Grace S. Stoermer, Past Grand President, Native Daughters of the Golden West from James J. Bettini, concerning erection of a flag pole at the Fort Moore site in 1903 by the Native Sons and Daughters 1903 Document 8.5 11 n/a
The Conception of the Fort Moore Pioneer Memorial

A typed manuscript by May Belle Davis describing the inception of the memorial idea (which took over 25 years and much perseverance to realize).

 
John Anson Ford Remarks

A copy of the speech given by Supervisor John Anson Ford at the original dedication ceremony of the Fort Moore Pioneer Memorial.

 
Dedication Ceremony Program

A copy of the program for the original dedication ceremony of the Fort Moore Pioneer Memorial.
Historical Image

A number of historical images that track the monument's construction from conception to dedication.