Time capsule from 1954 reveals mementos of old Paso Robles boys’ school

A stone plaque placed at the lower right corner of the entryway into the El Paso de Robles Youth Correction Facility hid a secret behind it for more than 67 years .

That secret was finally revealed Thursday afternoon.

In the space behind the marker was hidden a slim copper container roughly the size of a jewelry box filled with black-and-white photos, yellowed business cards, newspapers and even a scroll — all mementos from the mid-20th century, when the remote Paso Robles facility acted as a youth conservation camp for hundreds of teenage boys.

“It’s a very special place, and the end of something very special,” Heather Bowlds, director of the California Division of Juvenile Justice, told the dozens of people who assembled to watch the small time capsule be opened. “It’s important to hold on to these memories and be proud of all the work that was done here.”

The time capsule was placed at the entryway during the January 1954 dedication ceremony for the facility, most likely with the intention of not being opened for 100 years.

The contents of the time capsule were unveiled Thursday during a ceremony organized by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. It was attended by dozens of former facilty workers, all eager to take a look inside the historical treasure trove.

The capsule was opened about 33 years ahead of schedule because the former boys’ school is set to soon make way for a massive new development that would completely transform the northeastern part of Paso Robles.

Time capsule holds memories from 1954 dedication ceremony

El Paso de Robles Youth Correction Facility opened in 1947, as a renovated former military base that the California Division of Juvenile Justice purchased for $8,000.

The facility, commonly known as “the boys’ school,” closed in 2008.

Today, barbed wire fences guard decrepit and aging dormitories and classrooms where the young men being — as one Tribune Telegram article from 1954 put it — “retrained as successful citizens for their homes and communities” spent their time.

When the time capsule was placed in January 1954, about 340 boys lived at the camp, according to the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Their average age was 16.

The boys lived in cottages with the staff and “worked together to make life as normal as possible,” according to a Corrections Department news release. They attended classes, had a band, participated in sports such as swimming and football and attended youth counseling classes.

A junior high school and a high school both operated on the property.

A key concept at the facility was the idea of “therapeutic communities” and vocational training, Bowlds said, something that is considered important today in youth services.

“If you look at any current research and what you should have in line for youth to be successful — it’s therapeutic communities, vocational job skills,” she said. “Sometimes history repeats itself.”

Bowlds said she was anxious to take a look at the progress report from the early 1950s that was included in the time capsule to see what administration at that time might have identified as the prevailing problems and solutions of the day.

Also of major interest was a mysterious scroll that was packed next to a thick stack of business cards of probate officers, lawyers and San Luis Obispo County entrepreneurs.

Because of its age, the scroll was difficult to unroll during the ceremony. All that could be discerned was the first page, which was labeled with the title “History of the Paso Robles School for Boys” and the signature of Gerald G Spencer, the facility superintendent at the time.

Also included in the time capsule were copies of the Paso Robles Press, published the day before and day of the 1954 dedication ceremony, which was attended by then California Gov. Goodwin Knight.

The capsule also included a rolled-up copy of a Telegram-Tribune newspaper labeled “do not read until 2054,” as well as sheet music, an aging patch with the number 63 on it and a small Bible, stained green from the copper box.

One photo included in the capsule featured a small pencil drawing on its back, supposedly done by one of the camp’s residents.

Among the people on hand for Thursday’s unveiling was the facility’s final superintendent, David Bacigalupo, who examined some of the items that had been placed in the capsule.

Like him, Bacigalupo said the folks who attended the ceremony were “interested to see what was in the time capsule,” but also eager to give “that last hurrah,” “get some closure and maybe pay some respects to this institution.”

This story was originally published October 14, 2021 at 2:09 PM.