Published: May 15, 2020 |

Two kiosks were damaged and an American flag burned at the Avondale Mine Memorial Park.
[Click image to enlarge]

A reward of $1,000 is being offered that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible who vandalized the Avondale Mine Memorial Park earlier this month.

Steve Konrad, president of the Plymouth Historical Society that owns and maintains the memorial park, said Earth Conservancy and Friends of the Plymouth Historical Society donated funds for the reward.

“We’re hoping the reward will encourage somebody to speak up about this vandalism,” Konrad said Wednesday.

Two American flags were burned and plexiglass to a kiosk was smashed at the memorial park. A list of those killed in the Sept. 6, 1869, disaster and literature about the history of the mine also were burned and a trail camera was stolen.

Konrad said based on what visitors told him, he estimates the vandalism occurred the afternoon of Sunday, May 4.

One of the two American flags was visible from Route 11 and motorists Konrad has spoken with reported the flag was missing after 6:30 p.m. that day.

“I’ve had people who were there that Sunday up to 1 to 2 p.m. said everything appeared to be fine,” Konrad said.

The memorial park is along Route 11 and the former Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad line, which is used to access the park. The former rail bed is also used by all-terrain vehicles, off-road motorcycles, mountain bikes and hikers.

A new American flag was donated and placed at the memorial park.

Earth Conservancy donated more than 4 acres of land consisting of the memorial park in 2014 to the historical society.

Anyone with information about the vandalism is asked to call the Plymouth Historical Society at 570-779-5840 or they can reach out at the historical society’s Facebook page.

Source: Times Leader

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