The mementos of today await the curious of 2067

Last update: August 19, 2008 - 11:25 PM

A BlackBerry smartphone, 2008 election paraphernalia, biographies of federal judges and other noteworthy Minnesotans, photographs, news stories and a map of Great Britain hand-drawn by former U.S. Supreme Court chief justice Warren Burger were among the items installed Tuesday in a time capsule in the lobby of the newly renovated U.S. Courthouse in downtown St. Paul.

The Warren E. Burger Federal Building and U.S. District Courthouse will reopen to the public Sept. 15 after a three-year, $70 million renovation project.

The building's nine federal courtrooms have been remodeled and four new courtrooms added. The heating and air conditioning systems have been replaced, and the building's had a facelift inside and out, among other improvements.

Burger, a St. Paul native, was chief justice of the Supreme Court from 1969 until his retirement in 1986. He died in 1995. The building at 316 N. Robert St. is just a block from the Robert Street bridge over the Mississippi River. Burger worked on the construction crew that built the bridge in 1925, the year he graduated from John A. Johnson High School.

The time capsule is to be opened in 2067, the courthouse's centennial. A plaque will be placed on another wall in the lobby so that future generations don't forget it's there.

PAT PHEIFER

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