7 hours ago - Politics

Poll: What should Illinois send to Time Capsule 250?

Carrie Shepherd

The Illinois State Capitol Building, featuring a statue of Abraham Lincoln at the steps leading to the entrance of the capitol. — The Illinois State Capitol Building on May 11, 2026. Photo: AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

Illinois is one of ten states skipping the "Great American State Fair," but the Land of Lincoln won't be completely absent from the sesquicentennial.

The big picture: All 56 states and territories contributed to "America's Time Capsule," which will be buried at Independence National Historical Park on July 4 and reopened in 2276.

Zoom in: Illinois sent a letter from Gov. JB Pritzker and the poem "Dear New Blood" from the state's Poet Laureate, Mark Turcotte.

Turcotte is a member of the Anishinaabe–Turtle Mountain Band.

Zoom out: Several states sent letters and poems, and I'm not saying we phoned it in, but Maine sent a whale bone. Pretty cool.

Florida sent a booklet about the Florida Senate, listing elected officials and a history of the state. Kinda Civics 101, but ok.

Here is what we'd send to represent Illinois in 2026:

🏳️‍🌈 Carrie: A Pride flag. LGBTQ and human rights in general have been under attack by the Trump administration, but I'm proud of how our state's leaders have tried to protect LGBTQ+ individuals.

📰 Monica: A hard copy of the Chicago Sun-Times and Tribune so people can remember how we used to get news.

📲 Justin: I'd include a phone with an Instagram reel preloaded showing the best of Caleb Williams comebacks. I'd also throw in a tin of Mindy's edibles and an Italian Beef sandwich from Al's. It'll hold.

Tell us: What would you send to the time capsule to represent Illinois in 2026?

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Poll: What should Illinois send to Time Capsule 250?

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