by Jerry Cornfield, Washington State Standard
July 8, 2026
An apple carved from Tenino stone. A photo of the Nisqually Glacier on Mount Rainier. A commemorative FIFA World Cup ORCA card. And a snapshot of a smiling Jay Inslee in a boat.
Those mementos are among the contributions from members of Washington state’s congressional delegation to a time capsule to be buried beneath the U.S. Capitol for 250 years.
Each of the 10 representatives and two senators are providing the semiquincentennial congressional time capsule with one or more items they feel will give insight about Washington’s residents, culture and geography in 2026 to those who open the vault in 2276.
Sen. Patty Murray, the senior member of the delegation, said it was difficult to be limited to only a few items.
“But our delegation came together to include items that highlight our different communities and regions across Washington state, and hopefully tell a story for future generations about the amazing history and people who have contributed to our state and country,” she said in an email.
Murray put in a photo of the Nisqually Glacier, reasoning that most glaciers on the mountain will be drastically smaller if not gone completely in 250 years. Separately, Rep. Kim Schrier offered a photo of Mount Rainier crowned by clouds in the shape of a National Park Service Ranger flat hat.
Murray also put in one of the limited edition ORCA cards created to mark Seattle’s participation as a host city for the 2026 World Cup and a print of Nooksack artist Louie Gong’s entitled “Good Day, Bad Day.”
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez submitted a stone apple carved by the Tenino Stone Carvers Guild from Tenino Sandstone quarried in southwest Washington, the region she represents. There’s a personal connection. Her great-great-uncle was a stonecutter in Tenino and her great-grandfather worked at the same quarry that the sandstone for the apple came from.
There are other photos in the Washington batch.
Inslee, the former governor, snapped a selfie with Rep. Marilyn Strickland and Sen. Maria Cantwell in a boat on the Nisqually River. Strickland provided it for the capsule.
Rep. Rick Larsen contributed images of three locations in his northwest Washington district with geographic coordinates so that in 250 years, people can visit those exact sites to see what has changed.
And Rep. Pramila Jayapal submitted pictures of the Seattle skyline and World Cup celebrations in Washington’s largest city.
Some contributed one of their personal challenge coins. Each contains the member’s name encircling an image of their choosing.
Rep. Suzan DelBene’s coin features a seaplane, Lake Washington, and the cascades while Rep. Michael Baumgartner’s coin has a map of Washington with his eastern Washington district highlighted in yellow.
“A longstanding symbol of service and leadership, the coin will give Americans in 2276 a tangible connection to the people and values that marked our nation’s 250th anniversary, preserving a small piece of history for future generations,” he said in a statement.
Rep. Dan Newhouse submitted his coin plus this handwritten note:
“The American story is rooted in ingenuity and perseverance of the people. From the agricultural heartland of the Yakima Valley to the innovation of the Tri-Cities, the Central Washington spirit of hard work and stewardship continues to fuel our republic. As we look forward to the next 250 years, may future generations remember the resilience, foundational liberties, and bold optimism that define our great experiment in self governance.”
Strickland and Rep.Adam Smith wrote letters.
“You may know our time through records and history books, but I hope you remember that we were ordinary people as well,” Strickland wrote. “Our system is imperfect, but it rests on a simple and powerful idea: that people can govern themselves, debate their differences, and work together toward common goals. If there is one lesson I would share, stay informed and stay involved, even when the process feels slow or frustrating.”
The congressional time capsule is different from America’s Time Capsule, buried at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia. It contains contributions from each of the three branches of the federal government and 50 states. Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson submitted a proclamation and Lt. Gov. Denny Heck provided a letter.
Washington State Standard is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Washington State Standard maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Bill Lucia for questions: [email protected].