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ENLARGE
Myrtle Creek Police Chief Don Brown reads February 5, 1868, the date of death of the individual on a damaged tombstone at Pioneer Cemetery in Myrtle Creek Tuesday. Brown said he counted 71 headstones at the Pioneer Cemetery that were recently overturned and damaged by vandals.
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ENLARGE
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Vandals damaged and overturned about 71 tombstones like these at Pioneer Cemetery in Myrtle Creek recently.
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MYRTLE CREEK -- The dates and names on the broken marble and granite headstones read like a history of the city.
Samuel Dailey, born March 24, 1821. He died Feb. 16, 1896. John Adams was 92 when he died July 1, 1866.
Seventy-one historical tombstones, some weighing 150 pounds or more, were tipped over and vandalized recently in Pioneer Cemetery. Several of them were broken in half or into as many as three different pieces.
"You go there and it just looks like the wind came through and knocked it down," said City Administrator Aaron Cubic.
Authorities are not sure when the incident occurred, though Myrtle Creek Police Chief Don Brown said a car was heard in the area Monday around 5 a.m.
"The car was apparently in the area for a while," Brown said.
No evidence of drug or alcohol use was found at the cemetery.
"Usually that just goes hand in hand, beer cans and tipped headstones," said Brown, while looking over the cemetery.
The damage easily exceeds $750, making it a Class C felony if anyone is arrested for the crime.
The cemetery was given to the city years ago and entered into the park system, Cubic said. As a result, the city is liable for it, although it has been cared for largely by the nonprofit Myrtle Creek Pioneer Cemetery Group.
In addition to cleaning up the cemetery for the last year-and-a-half, the organization had been trying to raise money to repair 12 tombstones that were previously damaged by vandals.
That incident occurred between 2004 and 2005, and those responsible were never caught, said Joyce Stimson, treasurer for the group.
The group also hoped to raise money to replace a sign and the dilapidated fence and gate that encompasses the cemetery.
Stimson, who has relatives buried in the cemetery, declined to say how much money the group had raised, but said it was unable to repair the estimated thousands of dollars of damage in this round of vandalism.
"Anybody that has no respect for the dead has something wrong with them, I mean really wrong with them," Stimson said.
Samuel Dailey, born March 24, 1821. He died Feb. 16, 1896. John Adams was 92 when he died July 1, 1866.
Seventy-one historical tombstones, some weighing 150 pounds or more, were tipped over and vandalized recently in Pioneer Cemetery. Several of them were broken in half or into as many as three different pieces.
"You go there and it just looks like the wind came through and knocked it down," said City Administrator Aaron Cubic.
Authorities are not sure when the incident occurred, though Myrtle Creek Police Chief Don Brown said a car was heard in the area Monday around 5 a.m.
"The car was apparently in the area for a while," Brown said.
No evidence of drug or alcohol use was found at the cemetery.
"Usually that just goes hand in hand, beer cans and tipped headstones," said Brown, while looking over the cemetery.
The damage easily exceeds $750, making it a Class C felony if anyone is arrested for the crime.
The cemetery was given to the city years ago and entered into the park system, Cubic said. As a result, the city is liable for it, although it has been cared for largely by the nonprofit Myrtle Creek Pioneer Cemetery Group.
In addition to cleaning up the cemetery for the last year-and-a-half, the organization had been trying to raise money to repair 12 tombstones that were previously damaged by vandals.
That incident occurred between 2004 and 2005, and those responsible were never caught, said Joyce Stimson, treasurer for the group.
The group also hoped to raise money to replace a sign and the dilapidated fence and gate that encompasses the cemetery.
Stimson, who has relatives buried in the cemetery, declined to say how much money the group had raised, but said it was unable to repair the estimated thousands of dollars of damage in this round of vandalism.
"Anybody that has no respect for the dead has something wrong with them, I mean really wrong with them," Stimson said.
The cemetery has not been the only object of vandalism in Myrtle Creek.
Beer bottles have been thrown at businesses recently and flower baskets have been destroyed, Brown said.
Just yesterday, two juveniles were arrested for destroying a flower display.
Brown said knocking over tombstones was just as senseless.
"There's no rhyme or reason to it, it's just to inconvenience people," Brown said. "They stand to gain nothing but going to jail."
Anyone with information about the crime is encouraged to call the Myrtle Creek Police Department, 863-5222.
* You can reach reporter Erik Skoog at 957-4202 or by e-mail at eskoog@newsreview.info.
Beer bottles have been thrown at businesses recently and flower baskets have been destroyed, Brown said.
Just yesterday, two juveniles were arrested for destroying a flower display.
Brown said knocking over tombstones was just as senseless.
"There's no rhyme or reason to it, it's just to inconvenience people," Brown said. "They stand to gain nothing but going to jail."
Anyone with information about the crime is encouraged to call the Myrtle Creek Police Department, 863-5222.
* You can reach reporter Erik Skoog at 957-4202 or by e-mail at eskoog@newsreview.info.
