Belvedere Lifted From The Vault

AP/KOTV - 6/15/2007 9:57 AM - Updated 6/15/2007 8:51 PM

Hundreds crammed into bleachers and behind barricades to see the Belvedere come out of the vault Friday afternoon. It was wet Friday morning, but the crowd that gathered wasn't going to let one day of rain spoil 50 years of history. News On 6 anchor Omar Villafranca reports hundreds of people, young and old, crowded near the courthouse to catch a glimpse of history, 50 years in the making.

Simple curiosity drew visitors from all over the world. Silvester Humaj’s ‘59 Buick broke down on the way from Massachusetts. He didn't let car trouble keep him away from seeing the buried treasure.

"I cannot imagine being anywhere else that's cooler than this. This is one of the coolest moments for me,” Humaj said. “I was born in 1979. I didn't have a chance to see a ‘58, ‘57, ‘56 something, you know? ‘57 Plymouth, I wish I could see a new one. This is about as close as we can get."

When the crane lifted the car from its rusty grave, it brought tears and a flood of memories to those watching.

Debbie Carr-Dover is one of the little girls sitting on the hood of the Belvedere in the famous picture from 1957. Fifty years later, she's still emotional about the capsule.

"When I saw the lid, the hood of the car, I lost it. It just brought back so many memories," said Carr-Dover.

Cheryl Forrest was here a half-century ago. She's one of the other Belvedere girls on the hood. For her, the unearthing is bittersweet.

“It's just fun to finally see it come up. And it's a little bit sad, because now it's not there anymore," Forrest said.

The time capsule was also pulled out. It looked rusty, but it did look like it was in one piece. That's good news.

You can catch an hour-long special about Buried Belvedere and What's Inside. It begins at 7 o'clock on Channel 6. You can see the car unveiled and find out what's inside and if it survived.

We'll also be revealing the contents of the time capsule that was stored alongside the car.

Watch the video: Buried Belvedere Lifted From The Ground

Watch the video: Unearthing The Belvedere

Watch the video: Time Capsule Removed From Belvedere Vault

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4/17/2007 Unearthing Tulsa’s History

06/01/2007 Tulsa's Population Holds The Key To A Piece Of Tulsa History

6/7/2007 The Story Behind A Famous Photograph

6/9/2007 Crews Practice Lifting The Buried Belvedere

6/12/2007 Crews Prepare For The Unearthing Of The Buried Belvedere

6/13/2007 Water Seeps Into Vault Holding Buried Car

6/14/2007 Crews Perform Mini-Lift Of Buried Belvedere

6/14/2007 Man Travels Across The World To See The Buried Belvedere

The car was placed on a trailer for transport to the Convention Center. The car was placed on a trailer for transport to the Convention Center.
The car was unearthed from its vault Friday afternoon. The car was unearthed from its vault Friday afternoon.
From SKYNEWS 6 you can see the Belvedere is on the road again!  Its being taken to the Convention Center for Friday’s unveiling. From SKYNEWS 6 you can see the Belvedere is on the road again! Its being taken to the Convention Center for Friday’s unveiling.
The time capsule was also removed from the vault on Friday. The time capsule was also removed from the vault on Friday.
Earlier this week organizers discovered there was water in the vault which held the car for 50 years. Earlier this week organizers discovered there was water in the vault which held the car for 50 years.
The car was buried 50 years ago and is being dug up for Oklahoma’s centennial. The car was buried 50 years ago and is being dug up for Oklahoma’s centennial.
The car and its contents will be revealed live on The News On 6 at 7 p.m.  The broadcast will also be streamed live on kotv.com. The car and its contents will be revealed live on The News On 6 at 7 p.m. The broadcast will also be streamed live on kotv.com.

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