Break-ins at Legion Park

By Linda Trest, Staff Writer
Posted 1/8/20

When members of the Gerald Area Chamber of Commerce arrived New Years Day at the depot they own in Legion Park, they discovered damage to the main door. They then noticed the door to the kitchen in …

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Break-ins at Legion Park

Posted

When members of the Gerald Area Chamber of Commerce arrived New Years Day at the depot they own in Legion Park, they discovered damage to the main door. They then noticed the door to the kitchen in the park was standing open.

A few members had agreed to take advantage of the warm weather to take down outdoor Christmas decorations.

Both doors appeared to have been kicked in and both door latches were destroyed in the process. Both had muddy boot prints on their exteriors. In the depot, a piece of interior doorway trim was found on the floor. A portion of trim still on the frame had been pushed loose. Strike plates and other pieces of the lock assemblies were found on the floor in both locations.

Officer Brandon McCulloch was called to take a report of the damage.

Public Works Director Nick Grube was notified of the damage to the park-owned kitchen.

Chamber member Steve Grgurich spent much of the holiday afternoon finding replacement parts and repairing the damage.

The historic Rock Island depot is one of the few of its kind remaining from the now extinct railroad line. It was moved from its original location near the railroad tracks at Main Street, to Legion Park for preservation.

A cursory review of the interior of the structure found no further damage or nothing missing. Several cabinet and closet doors were left ajar, however.

Nothing appeared to be missing from the kitchen either. The Legion Hall and bathroom doors did not appear to be tampered with.

McCulloch was contacted for an update on the case Monday, Jan. 6. He told The Republican there was nothing further to report.

A chamber member had been in the depot Thursday, Jan. 2, and the door was in working order at that time. It is not known when exactly the break-in occurred.