A Time Capsule to Remember

The city of Cordele, Georgia is the “watermelon capitol of the world,” according to its official website www.cityofcordele.com . Conveniently located 140 miles south of Atlanta and 100 miles from the Florida state line on Interstate 75, it is the county seat for Crisp County Georgia. And although its history is rich dating back to the Civil War and for a few days serving as the capital of Georgia, in truth it is a pit stop for Northerners on their way to Walt Disney World or at least it was for us.



It was 4:30 in the afternoon when we reached Cordele after leaving Chattanooga for the land of “where memories are made.” We stopped for gasoline at the intersection of I 75 and state highway 401. Downtown Cordele is located approximately eight blocks west and four blocks south and is located on US Highway 41, which as those of you who live in Tennessee know, US Hwy 41 is the old highway that tourist took to get to Florida before the Interstate system was built.


Because of that, we did not see downtown Cordele but instead were greeted with a Titan Missile which according to the town’s website came to be in 1968. Today it is a time capsule. I asked Paige if she knew what a time capsule was and she explained that it is a box that people put things in and then opened up years later. I was impressed. I asked her where she learned that and she said, “Sponge Bob Square Pants.” (A cartoon show on Nick Jr.)


Of course the reporter in me wanted to know more. So I asked the attendant at the gas station, a young man who was eager to tell me the story. It seems the truck that was hauling the missile from somewhere in Florida broke down on the Interstate there in Cordele. Instead of hauling it to its final destination, which he did not know, towns bid on keeping it and he was proud to announce that Cordele out bid Atlanta. Even more amazing he added that two years ago they realized the missile was still armed. This was backed by the manager/owner who repeated the story to another customer. I’m not sure that I want to believe that an armed missile has been sitting 500 miles from my hometown, but it is a good story and it is an amazing impressive sight to see.




Of course for Paige more amazing was to wonder what the citizens of Cordele placed in their time capsule.