It was a long time ago.

But during this time, The A-Team debuts. Microsoft Word is released. Ronald Regan is president. Gas is a little more than a dollar. Michael Jackson is a star.

And in a bank in Bullard, a group of tellers and bankers gather cultural items to place inside a time capsule. No telling what is in it.

But, Austin Bank, formerly First National Bank of Bullard,will unseal a time that was locked away inside the walls of the bank 25 years ago. The CAPSULE will be displayed to the public 5 p.m. Wednesday, September 17th at the Bank of Austin in Bullard.

A reception will immediately follow the opening of the CAPSULE in the Austin Bank lobby.

The year was 1983. Bullard was a small community with a population of 890. Houston Street ran through the small quiet town consisting of a 4-way stop, U.S. Post Office and small school system. There was no building boom going on in Bullard at that time, but a group of business men came together with a vision to build the First National Bank of Bullard at 210 N. Houston. During the bank's construction, they also had the forethought to place a time capsule inside the walls of the front entrance with instructions to open in the year 2008.

The bank opened with eleven Directors: Billy Bacon, John Cowan, Terry Cowan,

Martin Z. Sammons, Walter Cook, Thelma Cravy, Comer Hudson, Carol Oates, Jerry Parker, Jack Studdard and E. J. Young. The bank president was Billy Jack Dunklin, and J.C. Rutherford was named executive vice president.

"1983 was a year of cultural changes and far-reaching world events," said Chairman Jeff Austin, Jr. "We are excited about revealing what was stored in the time capsule and what they wanted us to know about their life," commented Austin. "We don't know what is behind the wall but eagerly anticipate seeing the contents."

The public, along with directors and former employees of First National Bank of Bullard, are invited to attend the capsule unveiling.

Austin Bank, a community bank with headquarters in Jacksonville, Texas, has $1 billion in assets with 28 offices in nine counties throughout East Texas. More information about the bank can be found at www.austinbank.com