Nearly 20 Old Wallets Found During Renovation Of Historic Coffeyville Theater

More than a dozen wallets from the 1950s were discovered inside an old theater in Coffeyville, Kansas.

Now, something old is new again, and it's offering comfort to a woman who recently lost her husband.

Coffeyville's Midland Theater is undergoing multi-million dollar renovations right now and the discovery during construction work took everyone involved a few steps back in time.

A discovery of nearly 20 old wallets were presumably left behind in people's seats at the historic Midland Theater.

"We've found old time capsules, doing demo in buildings that was kind of interesting. But I've never found anything like this," Project Manager Steve Barry said.

Berry said he found the wallets inside the old janitor's closet, pushed in a space above the door.

"I looked up and saw that red wallet. and I had to kinda stretch but it was right here," he said as he pointed to the area where he found them.

"They'd just stick 'em up there and hide them. I don't know why they didn't just trash them but that's ok. It's our treasure we found," Midland Theater Foundation President Darrel Harbaugh said.

Berry said there was not any money inside, but pictures, and handwritten notes that likely have not been seen in decades.

A bank pass book from 1951 was also found. It belonged to Paul Crandell, who died about two years ago.

"We had our first date in 1952," Irene Crandell said.

Now, his wife Irene, who said they would have celebrated 69 years of marriage this year, has a little piece of Paul's past.

"Oh it's, it's precious to have this," she said. "I put it in, our daughter sent a special box that I have his billfold and glasses and things like that. So that's where I put this."

The book captures a moment in Paul's life when he was only making deposits.

"He was saving money, I'm sure, to get clothes for college or maybe buy a car. And this shows his first three deposits in this book," Irene said.

Across the street from the theater, a mural reads "Our past fuels our future."

This glimpse into who enjoyed the theater in the past, is now on the minds of everyone working to restore it.