Builders renovating an former school were left stunned after uncovering a purse from 1959 hidden beneath the floorboards. The plastic clutch, which had belonged to a 13-year-old girl, had been slightly chewed by rats but its contents were still perfectly intact, according to the Mirror.
A series of family photos, a handkerchief and even diary entries about the schoolgirl's crush were found inside the bag, frozen in time for over 60 years. The purse was unearthed during the refurbishment of a League City school near Houston, Texas which is being turned into a community centre, CNN reports.
Sydney Hunt, a senior communications specialist with the Clear Creek Independent School District, said: “Everything we pulled out added to her story. It was like piecing together a puzzle.”
He continued: “It was an accurate representation of what a teenager was like during that time. It was kind of like a time capsule.”
Through detective work, the owner of the purse was discovered - one Andrea Beverly Williams.
“It was like looking at today’s Facebook,” Richard Lewis, Vice President of the League City Historical Society said.
Her name was ran through ancestry databases and they found out Williams had passed away in 2015 but her husband and nine children were still alive. They managed to get hold of Deborah Hicks, one of her nine children, two days before what would have been Williams’ 77th birthday.
Hicks said: “We were stunned. It was great to see how outgoing she was as a teen.
"She went to dances, had a lot of friends.”
The items were returned to Williams’ family, but they allowed the items to be kept on display at the community centre.
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