Building My Bridge to 2076: Episode 4
Documenting the creation of a family Century Safe, one decision at a time
About “Building My Bridge to 2076”
On December 31, 2026, I’ll seal a Century Safe containing letters, photos, stories and artifacts from my family to be opened fifty years later in 2076.
This series documents the entire nine-month journey from vision to gathering to curation to the closing ceremony. I’m following the Century Safe Method I developed while researching Annie Diehm, a Civil War widow who sealed a safe in 1879 that sat all but forgotten for decades, but was opened by President Gerald Ford in 1976, just as Annie had planned. This is Episode 3 of 22.
Thanks for joining me on this journey, and I look forward to sharing the stories of YOUR Century Safes over the next months, as well!
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Release Date: April 30, 2026
Interesting and important
Stuck away in the archives of the Library of Congress (LOC) in Washington DC is a linen-bound copy of Annie Deihm’s United States Centennial Welcome. Anyone can access this 150-year-old publication - anyone with a LOC library card, that is.
The book is a bound collection of every edition of the paper Annie published in 1876, and, having spent several days between its covers, I can say it is a treasure.
Printed in red and blue ink throughout, The Centennial Welcome contains a little bit of everything - original and previously published stories and commentary on politics, science, industry, culture and history, but also poetry, songs and literature, and even a few recipes. There are also advertisements, lists of those “eminent” men Annie courted as subscribers and contributors, and letters from those same men commending Annie on her efforts. She was, after all, a fabulous self-promoter and astute business woman who was making a living as a publisher.
In one piece titled, “The Aim and Purpose of The Welcome,” Annie notes that the goal of The Centennial Welcome is to “present the progress of our people in a varied and attractive manner.”
I’ve been thinking about The Centennial Welcome a lot over the past two weeks. The end of the Epic Family Vacation saw the kids and grands heading home, and my husband and I embarking on a post-vacation vacation. Just the two of us.
The pace slowed considerably. Think late breakfasts, midday sidewalk cafes, old libraries and long, quiet train rides. I’ve been re-listening to David McCullough’s History Matters and reading The Heart-Shaped Tin by Bee Wilson and Joan Didion’s Where I Was From.
And thinking about how to “present the progress of our people - my people - in a varied and attractive manner,” and what that might look like. In case you’re curious, all three books are helping.
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I had a good long conversation about the Century Safe with my adult kids while we were still all together. It’s a busy summer ahead for everyone, and I want to be respectful of their time and energy. I’d rather have one contribution joyfully done than six done under duress or duty and sandwiched in between other more pressing and real responsibilities.
I’m trying to make this easy and fun. But mostly easy. I think Annie did the same thing.
She had the autograph book available every day during the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. She had the book there, the special pens and inkstands, even the safe itself so all folks had to do was walk in and sign their names.
Later, she sent blank autograph pages out to people all across America so they could sign their names, too. And she made arrangements with shipping companies that allowed people to send back those completed pages at no cost to themselves.
She even brought the autograph books on the road, traveling from town to town so more people had the chance to participate.
In 2026, I’m doing things a little differently, but the idea is the same: KISS.
If you haven’t read Ben Rich’s Skunk Works yet, get a copy. It’s fascinating!
I set up a Century Safe WhatsApp group chat. We’ve all been using the app for years - it’s by far the best way for us to stay in touch from anywhere in the world - so creating a special space there for this project was a no-brainer. I’ll be posting updates, reminders, resources and first drafts, and answering any questions that come up, and I envision it as the primary method of sharing photos that will be included in the safe when the time comes.
One thing the group chat won’t be used for is submitting written contributions.
I feel strongly that what each of us puts into the Century Safe is between us and the future.
Our written contributions - the letters from each person about their formative events, the Five Things Historical Records Won’t Tell You About Me lists, the Good Ancestor statements, the Letters to 2076, and the Day in the Life pieces - are going to be kept private.
Each person will deliver their contributions in marked and sealed envelopes, and then those envelopes with be organized and placed in our Century Safe to be opened in fifty years.
No peeking.
The youngest members of the family continue to offer creative ideas for what should be included in the Century Safe.
Like a lot of kids in the 90s, my daughter was obsessed with Ty Beannie Babies, and like a lot of mothers of those kids, I saved every one of them. Two summers ago, my grandsons came across the tub of Beanie Babies in the laundry room, and their mom and I both shared stories about the collection. I got a WhatsApp message the other day: “Nana, let’s include one of Mom’s Beanie Babies in our safe!”
The plan is for them and their mom to pick out which one will be sent to 2076 this summer when they’re with us in Wyoming.
Also on the list of items to be considered is a Jellycat which is, as you might know, basically the Beanie Babies of today only ten times more expensive and their own pop up stores. Maybe we can think of it as an investment in the future?
One of the items I added to the list is a handwritten letter with a typed transcription. Since cursive writing is no longer being taught in many schools, it might be interesting to see if anyone in 2076 can read it!
Another possible item being suggest? A water bottle, empty of course. It makes perfect sense. Fifty years ago no one carried a water bottle. My generation drank out of the garden hose on our adventures. My kids grew up with juice boxes and pouches. My grands can’t walk across the hall without grabbing their Yeti. What “hydration system” will my grandchildren’s grandchildren use?
Part of my commitment to our family Century Safe is to do the heavy lifting, so I’ve been thinking about what that might actually look like.
Family Trees: I’m thinking five-generation family trees for the direct lines of my kids and their spouses. That reaches back to their great-great-grandparents, so between 100 and 150 years. That’s enough trees for a forest! Luckily, I’ve been doing family history for a good long while, so there won’t be a lot of new research required, more just deciding what the trees will look like. I’m leaning toward short narrative.
Family Information: One afternoon while people watching at a cafe in Florence, I jotted down a list of things that might be “interesting and important” to descendants - things like migration routes, military service, occupational data, known medical histories and historical timelines and context. I’m not through with the list yet, so a call for suggestions (and potential help) will be going out soon.
Family Stories and Traditions: Again, a lot of this stuff has already been preserved, so it’s a matter of deciding what to include. My thought now is I’ll send out a list with a brief description of each story or tradition, and then ask everyone for their thoughts and for any additional stories or traditions they’d like to have included. Oh, and I love the idea of including family words and phrases - many of which have been passed down generationally!
Family Recipes: I created a family heritage cookbook a decade ago so will be including a copy of it in the safe. I’ll also ask for contributions and suggestions from other direct lines that will be appearing in trees.
Photos: We are a family that takes a lot of photos but also shares them, so there shouldn’t be any lack of material! I’m still thinking through possible categories or themes to organize photos into, as well as how to limit the number of actual photos and the size of those digital files, and will be soliciting ideas and suggestions - and maybe even help! The idea of a photo book has been brought up and might be a good solution.
Newspapers and Historical Context: I’m thinking a newspaper from everyone’s birthday might be fun - I can get them online and create lists of headlines, if nothing else. One from the day we seal the safe would be fun, too. As for historical context, I’ll probably include world, national, state and local events and happenings, most likely drawn from published lists. Ditto for cultural stuff like books, movies, fads, trends and styles.
The Work that Mattered: This could be both easier and harder than some of the other things I’m taking responsibility for. I have a lot of work out in the world, so deciding what to include will take some discipline. But, I have a guardrail - only include the things I love - and also a space+size limit. I already have some ideas.
Whew. It looks a bit intimidating on paper. But go big to go home, right? Annie had big plans too, and she went hard at them. She’s my role model here. Her bridge held. It maybe wasn’t all she wanted it to be, or all the folks in 1976 expected it to be, but it held. Ours will too, expectations be damned.
I have a lot of work to do. I better get started. Well, first I need to board the plane and get back home!
Copyright 2026 Lori Olson White
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The Century Safe Method teaches you Annie Deihm’s pioneering approach, refined with 150 years of hindsight and adapted for family-scale projects today and into the future
This isn’t a vague “make a time capsule” guide. This is a complete methodology for creating a Century Safe that:
Actually gets opened (most time capsules don’t)
Engages future recipients (not just passive viewing)
Survives decades of moves, transitions, and forgotten promises
Creates traditions that continue for generations
Your bridge to 2076 is waiting.
In 2076, someone will open what you’re creating.
They’ll read your letters. See your photos. Discover the “Five Things” about you that no historical record captured. Read your Good Ancestor statement and understand what you wanted to be remembered for.
They’ll sign the signature page beneath your name, answering the questions you posed across fifty years. They’ll feel connected to someone they never met but who thought about them anyway.
And maybe - just maybe - they’ll decide to build a Century Safe for 2126, continuing the chain you started.
That’s legacy. That’s bridge building. And it’s possible.
Get your copy of The Century Safe Method today. Also now available for Kindle!
Recently I was invited to join Robin Stewart and the GenClub Panel to talk about Annie Deihm and her Century Safe. It was a fabulous conversation and a great format for in-depth discussions and questions.
It’s always fun to sit down with Barbara at Projectkin, and a while back I had the chance to share some of what I’ve learned about time capsules with her and the Projectkin community.
The Story Catalog isn’t an archive in the usual sense. What you’ll find here is a living catalog of Lost & Found Stories – deeply researched historical narratives told in parts, discovered through newspapers, letters, court records, logs, and the stubborn human habit of leaving traces behind.
The Lost & Found Story Box is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Gosh, Lori, you've essentially reminded us that EVERY effort at "doing your genealogy" is really a specialized form of time travel.
Why shouldn't we ALL do this? This spares future generations from the decisions and ultimately the burden of making these decisions. As a bonus, it makes it a family project. Instead of a Beanie Baby, I'm thinkin' that tattered Furby and the lonely expired Tamagochi will be in our box. I'm on the hunt for a fitting Steamer Trunk, DearMYRTLE-style. 😉
Lori, this just feels so you, thoughtful, generous, and quietly ambitious in the best way. I love how you’re balancing structure with heart, making it meaningful without making it heavy for everyone else. The care you’re putting into both the big picture and the smallest details (the Beanie Baby, the handwritten letters, even the water bottle!) is what’s going to make this come alive in 2076.