Stacey Tinsley, Bossier Press-Tribune
History was preserved Friday, June 26, as community leaders, elected officials and residents gathered at South Bossier Park to seal and bury the 2026 Bossier Parish Community Time Capsule, creating a lasting record of life in the parish during America’s 250th anniversary year.
The ceremony, hosted by Keep Bossier Beautiful in partnership with the Bossier Parish Police Jury, Keep America Beautiful and Visit Shreveport-Bossier, marked a once-in-a-generation opportunity for residents to leave a message for future generations. The capsule will remain sealed until 2076, when it will be reopened during the nation’s 300th anniversary celebration.
Keep Bossier Beautiful Executive Director Lynn Bryan welcomed attendees before Bossier Parish Police Jury District 12 Juror Keith Sutton delivered the invocation. Addalyn Allen performed the national anthem and led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Community leaders, elected officials and residents celebrated the milestone as proclamations recognizing the event were presented by Bossier Parish Administrator Dr. Ken Ward on behalf of the Bossier Parish Police Jury and by Bossier City Mayor Tommy Chandler. Ward and Chandler emphasized the importance of preserving Bossier Parish’s history for future generations.
Pam Gras, senior adviser to Speaker of the U.S. House Mike Johnson, and Bossier Parish Library historian Pam Carter Carlisle also spoke, highlighting the importance of documenting local history during America’s semiquincentennial celebration.
One of the ceremony’s highlights was the presentation of student artwork and artifacts submitted by residents throughout the parish. The time capsule includes letters, photographs, children’s artwork, recipes, poems, school essays and other keepsakes reflecting daily life, family traditions and community pride in 2026.
Earlier this month, Keep Bossier Beautiful invited residents of all ages to submit items that would provide future generations with a glimpse of life in Bossier Parish during this historic year.
“We have a unique opportunity to tell future generations what life was like in Bossier Parish during this historic moment,” Bryan said. “Every letter, photograph and memory submitted will help create a lasting record of our community in 2026.”
During the ceremony, a guest book signed by attendees was placed inside the capsule before Gary Knippers and Scott Lawson secured it. Keep Bossier Beautiful President Randy Brown then placed the capsule into the monument, and Dennis Norris completed the ceremony by permanently sealing it.
Organizers said the project not only commemorates America’s 250th anniversary but also celebrates the people, traditions and stories that make Bossier Parish unique.
When the capsule is reopened in 2076, future residents will have the opportunity to discover firsthand how the community lived, celebrated and looked toward the future during one of the nation’s most significant milestones.
