It’s not every day you get to see history come back to life. For me, I was fortunate enough to find myself in the discovery of two Blue Cross time capsules that have been hiding in plain sight for more than 50 years.

The early clues

In late 2022, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota informed all associates that the company would be shrinking the company’s presence in Eagan from four buildings to two – the result of an increasingly remote workforce.

This consolidation of real estate meant a permanent departure from the 442,000 square-foot building on Highway 13 that Blue Cross built and first opened back in 1970. Commonly referred to as “Main” the building housed half a century’s worth of files and documents that needed to be moved and stored elsewhere. One such document was the original Main floor plan.

By chance, a facilities manager happened upon a page in the floor plans with some very curious markings. They seemed to indicate small, hollow spaces where time capsules may have been permanently sealed behind stone facades. Facilities staff brought a photo of the floor plan page to the company’s Public Relations team—which is where I enter the story.

At the time, only a handful of people knew about these odd markings. No one could say for certain whether these time capsules ever existed. Others assumed the story was just part of company lore – a harmless “buried treasure” tale to share for entertainment. I was among the skeptics. However, I couldn’t help but think: if there was such a thing as a Blue Cross time capsule, what exactly would have been kept inside? With Blue Cross celebrating its 90^th anniversary this year, I knew this was the perfect time to investigate and find out once and for all.

“X” marks the spot

The markings pointed to spaces behind two cornerstones located at the front entrance of Main.  In April, the company hired a masonry company to come out with their saws and take a look. When the big day arrived, I kept watch from a safe distance. The cornerstones were each marked with a year – one 1951 and the other 1970. The mason workers started with the 1950 block, carving it out carefully so not to damage anything that might be behind it. At the big moment when the block came loose, we looked to find… nothing. Just an empty space.

It was just a rumor after all, I thought. The crew turned its attention to the 1970 block, repeating the same careful process. Then it happened. We struck gold. Or, in this case, copper. Carefully removing the cornerstone, the crew revealed two dirty copper boxes, both about the size of a cereal box. The time capsules are real!

Both boxes were well sealed. The mason workers were able to pry open one box by hand. It took a saw to open the other.

A trip back in time

I was tasked with pulling the contents out of the first box, making me the first person reach into the time capsule in 53 years. I carefully removed a large manila folder. It contained a stack of documents that were amazingly well-preserved, even if they smelled something like a damp library.

The stack contained dozens of marketing materials, newspaper clippings, annual reports and more. There was a copy of the Pioneer Press from February 13, 1970 – presumably the date the box was buried.

The second box had materials that went back in time even further. This collection was likely sealed at the time that Blue Cross moved into a new building back in the early 1950s. I’m sure no one at the time thought that the company would continue to grow to the point where a move to an even bigger building would happen just two decades later.

Also in the 1951 box were cartoons, marketing materials, photos, claims processing instructions and more. “Protect your pocketbook! Get both Blue Cross and Blue Shield,” one pamphlet reads. “Always carry your Blue Cross card,” another says. “It’s your passport to worry-free recovery wherever you go.”

By analyzing the materials left behind by earlier generations, it’s clear our values have remained the same. We have always valued putting the customer first, keeping costs low and keeping members healthy.

Preserving history

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota donated all of the contents from both time capsules to the Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS). It’s a great feeling to know that these materials will be added to the MNHS archive collection and will be available for the public to view at the Minnesota History Center in downtown St. Paul.

This year has been filled with reminiscing on the past and celebrating our 90-year history at Blue Cross. These time capsules are a great reminder that while history is important, we should always be thinking what we want our legacy to be for future generations to discover.

See the time capsule artifacts

Check out the time capsule in the news:

• Fox 9: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota recovers forgotten time capsules.
• Pioneer Press: Blue Cross employees stumble upon long-forgotten time capsules hidden in Eagan.