Thieves steal 200-pound anvil, vandalize historical marker in Shawnee

Thieves damaged a Shawnee historical marker and stole an anvil after using a sledgehammer to dislodge it.

Shawnee city officials said the theft of the 200-pound artifact occurred sometime in the past few days.

It is part of a a marker at 6130 Nieman Road, near Martin Family Dentistry in Shawnee.

City officials say the marker commemorated the location of the Star Blacksmith Shop in the 1860s.

Charlie Pautler, director of the Shawnee Town 1929 museum, said the iron anvil was an estimated 75 to 100 years old.

Officials speculate that it was either stolen to sell for scrap or for its collectible value.

“Anvils are fairly collectable,” he said.

While the monument was heavily damaged, Pautler said officials are thankful that the hand-carved limestone star on the facade of the monument was not damaged.

The star had been part of the building that housed the blacksmith shop, he said.

Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call Shawnee police at 913-631-2150.

This story was originally published October 20, 2017 at 11:39 AM with the headline "Thieves steal 200-pound anvil, vandalize historical marker in Shawnee."