WAMPSVILLE, N.Y. -- It's a glimpse of the past: A time capsule from the Madison County Courthouse walls has been opened.

It was placed in the cornerstone of the Courthouse on January 7, 1909. Officials have known about the capsule, and with the courthouse under construction, leaders decided this would be a good time to open it.

Inside were newspaper articles, coins, pictures, and a few other items.

Back in 1909, people took photographs of sealing the time capsule. Monday, people recorded its opening live on smartphones.

"A little different than 109 years ago when they came. They would've been coming along probably the train to get here," said Madison County Historian Matthew Urtz. "The idea that there [were] 3,000 masons here, and we might have had 100 people or so people here today, a little different, but the idea that we're able to reach a far broader audience is kind of interesting."

The items were very wet, so the historian is hoping to have them taken care of and then put on display.

Another time capsule is in the works for future generations.