I grew up in Eatontown and often "hung out" at the mall as a teen-ager. If my memory serves me right, I remember 3 flagpoles outside between where Luca's Pizza and The Ground Round once stood.

Hi Jacki...roughly what year would be your earliest memory be of the flagpoles in that area? We know they were moved from the original location but not sure exactly what year. Assume it was around the time of the expansion in the early/mid 1970's. Have not been able to find any information of what became of the time capsule when the flags were moved.

I remember a flagpole / sitting area at the western entrance of the shopping center; facing the mall, Montgomery Ward/Alexander's/Caldor/movie theater would have been to the right; the entrance to the downstairs civic center/Storer Cable offices would have been to the left. My parents and grandparents used to park in that lot and sit me down at that flagpole area when I was little (early to mid 60's). I remember them saying something about a time capsule in that area, because my older brother was a boy scout around that time.

I find it sad and disrespectful that the mall owners paid such little mind to something historical like a local time capsule and allowed it to be lost and paved over.

Jesse....thanks for your thoughts and memories. The time capsule was well marked at the time it was buried with the marble top above it. We think its unlikely that the area would have been paved over without it being removed first however we do not have any information to confirm that it was (removed.)

Please keep us informed if you do find out the answer to the mystery. Enjoyed going back in time.

any money in it

No Money just documents to: Past,Present and Future in the Boy Scouts eyes.

Thank you to Tom Fary for adding old overhead photos of the Monmouth Shopping Center. The 5th photo shows the original location of the flags. The little white thing in front of the middle flag is the marker for the time capsule.

Anytime Bob and Kathy, that was an Eatontown Museum photo.Great job on your part Bob and Kathy for bringing this quest to the Patch, hopefully more people will see this and you'll get some answers.

To recap, while we think we know where the time capsule was buried in 1960, what we are trying to find out is what happened to it when the flagpoles where relocated. Not sure what year that was but most likely by 1975 when the Monmouth Shopping Center became the Monmouth Mall.

Brief update: Still a mystery as to what happened to the time capule. A friend did send an aerial photo from 1979 that appears to show the flagpoles and time capsule still in their original location. That is several years after we thought they would have been removed. Would love to hear from anyone that has any specific recollection of them after that time period and when it was removed.

Looking at these pics and comparing it to contemporary airal shots it seems to me that the original sight is NOT now a parking lot but rather retail space. In the vicinity of Old Navy if I'm not mistaken. Over-lay a newer photo with the old using the entrance to the underground for reference (it appears the exit was redirected to accomodate JCP).

looking at the old arial photo you shared it seems like the flag poles jive up roughly with the 2nd row of cars to the left of the tunnel entrance
look at this photo and note where that same 2nd row of cars lines up.
http://www.flyinphilsphotos.com/sms/photos/rsz_27.jpg
THAT's your spot.