Several news outlets, including the San Francisco Chronicle reported about a 90 year old time capsule being unearthed on Saturday at Mount Davidson. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, “More than 100 people gathered at the steps of the 103-foot concrete cross at San Francisco’s highest peak to see the history unearthed at an event hosted by the Council of Armenian American Organizations of Northern California, which owns the cross, with the help of Scout Troop 88, the same troop that buried the time capsule almost a century ago.”
The following opening remarks were made by Roxanne Makasdjian at the event:
Good Morning, everyone. Before we get started I’d like to note that our event today is being livestreamed on facebook and Instagram, on the Mt. Davidson Landmark Park and Cross page; or mtdavidsoncross
I’m Roxanne Makasdjian. I represent The Genocide Education Project, one of the organizations forming the Council of Armenian American Organizations of Northern California, and on behalf of the Council, I’m pleased to welcome you all to Mt. Davidson Cross and to the unearthing and unveiling of the time capsule that was sealed and placed underground at the foot of the cross 90 years ago.
When I was reading about time capsules, I learned that most of them don’t really contain items that are very useful to historians. But WE “regular” people like them, right? We bury time capsules to communicate with future generations, let them know a little of what we care about at this moment, what we hold dear, what’s happening in our community. When we open a time capsule, we open a window on our predesessors’ lives unlike what we’d read a history book. It makes us remember and connect with those people here on Mt. Davidson a century ago.
And fittingly, for today’s custodians of Mt. Davidson Cross, San Francisco’s Armenian-American community, it was right around that time, a century ago, that many of our grandparents, amongst of few who survived the Turkish government’s genocide of Armenians in our homeland, made it here and began establishing those very community organizations that came together to save this cross from demolition in 1997. We entered and won the city’s auction of the top of Mt. Davidson, including the cross, and we were gratified that San Franciscans voted Yes to approve the transfer of the cross to the Armenian-American community. We’ve strived to be good stewards—fully renovating the cross, maintaining it, hosting the annual Easter Sunrise Services, the annual Armenian Genocide commemorations, and even the occasional wedding. We do this as a way of saying Thank You to San Francisco for taking us in beginning a century ago, and as a way to honor our history, both as the first nation to adopt Christianity in the 301, and as descendants of Armenian Genocide survivors, dedicating ourselves to the protection of human rights and the dignity of all peoples. For us, this Cross and this time capsule embody the importance and purpose of remembrance.
It was April 1st, 1923 when George Decatur, Western Union Telegraph official and Director of the YMCA organized the first Easter sunrise service here, drawing over 5,000 attendees. It was followed by an uninterrupted succession of annual Easter sunrise services. The temporary wooden cross that was placed here on San Francisco’s highest hill in 1923, was followed by three others, before volunteers, including the first woman on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Margaret May Morgan, raised funds—as the Great Depression drove many to despair—to erect this 103-ft. permanent cross. Then in 1934, a week before Easter, President Franklin Roosevelt pressed a golden telegraph key in Washington, D.C. to light up the cross before an audience of 50,000.
It was 1933, 90 years ago, that the time capsule, a sealed copper box, was buried at the foot of the cross by Boy Scout Troop 88. Well, ladies and gentlemen, Troop 88 just celebrated their 100thanniversary, and we’re so gratified that they could join with the Armenian-American scouts to open the day’s celebration.
I’d also like to acknowledge and express appreciation to a few of our guests today:
○ SF Mayor London Breed
○ SF Sup. Myrna Melgar
○ SF Sup. Asha Safai
○ Kevin Fong, Senior Field Representative, Office of Congressman Kevin Mullin (CA-15), who has delivered a Congressional Proclamation
○ Michael Pappas, Exec Dir of SF Interfaith Council
○ Miriam Zouzounis, City of SF Small Business Commissioner
○ Jackie Proctor, our Mt. Davidson Cross historian
○ Denise LaPointe, who valiantly led the political campaign to approve the city’s sale of Mt. Davidson Cross
○ And all the distinguished clergy who have joined us and who will be introduced to you shortly.
