Students Opened 1950 Time Capsule on Oak Street
The capsule was discovered during renovations at the International School of San Francisco.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Historical
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Students at the International School of San Francisco unearthed a piece of city history this week after finding a 1950 time capsule hidden on campus. The discovery took place during school renovations, revealing artifacts left behind decades before the site became a school.
Why it matters
The site holds a unique place in local infrastructure history, having served as the headquarters for Caltrans District 4 for 43 years. The contents offer a snapshot of a pre-BART city before the agency relocated its main operations to Oakland in 1993.
The capsule sat buried for 76 years, dating back to 1950. The site later hosted Caltrans for 43 years, a tenure that ended when the agency moved to Oakland in 1993.
The players
International School of San Francisco
The current campus on Oak Street where the 1950 time capsule was discovered during building renovations.
Caltrans
The state transportation agency that maintained its District 4 headquarters at the school site for 43 years.
The details
Students carefully handled the artifacts, including period newspaper clippings and black-and-white photos, using white gloves. The collection highlights the site’s history as the former Caltrans Bay Area District 4 headquarters on Oak Street. These items provide a window into the city’s past, long before major modern transit systems like BART began operations in 1972.
Timeline
1950: The time capsule was put in the ground.
1972: BART began operations.
1993: Caltrans moved its district headquarters to Oakland.
September 28, 2026: Students opened the time capsule at the school.
Across the Bay
The discovery serves as a marker for the site's history prior to the 1993 relocation of Caltrans District 4 to Oakland. It provides a tangible link to the urban landscape before the region-wide expansion of modern transit systems.
Residents living near the Oak Street campus may see ongoing activity as school renovations continue following the discovery. The artifacts themselves offer a unique view into how the neighborhood functioned before the modern Bay Area transit era.
The takeaway
The capsule highlights the layers of history hidden beneath current school property. Keep an eye on the school’s newsletters for updates on whether these artifacts will be placed on public display for the community.
Further reading
For more on the city's past, visit San Francisco Historical.
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