Photo by Deb Gau An excavator tears down part of a wall on the upper story of the former West Side Elementary building last week. Demolition crews started tearing the building down earlier this month.

MARSHALL — As crews continued demolition work at the former West Side Elementary, they uncovered a little piece of history.

This week, workers from M.A.A.C. removed the school’s 1955 cornerstone, revealing a time capsule that had been sealed inside for more than 65 years.

Dion Caron, director of business services at Marshall Public Schools, visited the demolition site on Monday to pick up the time capsule.

“I’d like to take it to the school board,” Caron said.

While he didn’t specify when that would happened, the Marshall Public School District Board will meet next on Jan. 3.

Earlier this year, there had been some speculation that West Side had a time capsule in its cornerstone. In June, Principal Peter Thor and Lyon County Museum Director Jennifer Andries said they thought the stone was big enough that it could have something inside.

Now that it’s been found, opening the time capsule could still be tricky. Caron said the copper box was welded shut.

The time capsule had also been sealed inside the West Side cornerstone together with some slips of paper. The papers were dirty and damaged from years inside the cavity, but they appeared to be work permits signed by some of the people who helped build the school in the 1950s.

Demolition of the West Side building started earlier this month.

“The school is half down right now,” said Dennis Larson of M.A.A.C., the company demolishing the building. Larson estimated that West Side could be completely torn down by New Year’s Day.

While excavators have been filling trucks with demolition debris, Larson said crews have also been working to salvage as much material as they can from West Side.

“M.A.A.C. is really committed to recycling,” he said.

Hopefully, concrete from the school building can be reclaimed and used in driveways and building foundations when the land is redeveloped, he said.

Larson said so far M.A.A.C has hauled multiple loads of scrap iron from the school building to Alter Metal. Crews also attempted to salvage the insulation from the school’s roof, but the insulation was damaged when ice formed on the opened roof.

It’s not yet certain what will be built in West Side’s place once demolition is over. Larson said there is potential for residential and possibly some commercial development.

“We think housing is the best fit for at least the southern part of the property,” he said. He said local residents are welcome to contact him with ideas for the land. It’s important that whatever goes on the West Side property is a good fit for the community, he said.

“We’re not just here to do the demolition,” Larson said.

The demolition process has drawn a lot of attention from passers-by, Larson said. On Dec. 18, the morning that Lyon County Heart To Heart was distributing Christmas gifts across the street at the National Guard Armory, the demolition drew a crowd.

“The sidewalk was lined up with three rows of people,” he said.