SANFORD — Back in 1917, local residents pitched in to help pay for a statue commemorating Thomas Goodall, the man who built Sanford Mills and provided steady employment for thousands.
With the exception of moving the statue from Main Street to Central Park in 1967, the statue itself has been virtually undisturbed for 96 years ”“ until now.
On Saturday at about 1:25 p.m., police were called by someone who told them one of the four bronze plaques that decorate each side of the granite base was missing.
“Someone would have had to pry it off,” said Sanford Parks Supervisor Brian Desrochers.
Deputy Police Chief Tim Strout said the caller told police two men were seen in the area of the statue at about the time the bronze plate was discovered missing.
Councilor Fred Smith, who deals in scrap metal, estimates a plaque like the one on the Goodall statue would weigh about 100 pounds, and would typically fetch about $200 from a scrap dealer.
Replacement cost, however, including labor and materials, is much pricier, at about $4,660, according to estimates received by city officials. The value means a theft charge would be a felony, said Strout.
Smith, along with several others, is disturbed by the apparent theft of the plaque.
“When does our heritage mean something?” he asked.
To many in Sanford, the statue and the missing plaque are priceless.
On Thursday night, Smith told the Journal Tribune he is offering a $500 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the theft. Those with information should call police at 324-9170.
While there were four plaques on the base of the statue, two of them carried the same inscription. The missing one is inscribed with this passage: “Erected by the citizens of Sanford Maine to the memory of Thomas Goodall. Founder of the Sanford Mills and the Goodall Worsted Company. Born in Dewsbury, Yorkshire, England 1823; Died in Sanford, Maine, 1910.
Thomas Goodall came to Sanford and established Sanford Mills in 1867. Both he and his children were philanthropists, and the family name lives on in the baseball park, the local hospital, library and more.
Seven years after his death in 1910, the Board of Trade sought to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the textile mills and commissioned a statue, according to historian Harland Eastman. Local residents contributed to the effort and in all, $6,700 was raised.
The sculptor was John Horrigan of Quincy, Mass., who sculpted the Titanic Memorial in Washington, D.C. and who, Eastman said, has ties to the Cook families of Alfred and Shapleigh.
Eastman, quoting a passage in the Sanford Tribune, the forerunner to the Journal Tribune, said more than 3,000 people gathered to witness the unveiling of the sculpture on Oct. 14, 1917. It was originally located in the intersection of Main and Washington streets, downtown. But increasing traffic over the years led to its relocation in Central Park in 1967.
Mayor Maura Herlihy said she is both frustrated and heartbroken that someone would choose to deface a historical monument dedicated to someone who helped build up the community.
“If someone took it for the metal value, they chose to take the easy path rather than the more honorable path of working for it, like Thomas Goodall did,” she said. “To deface a monument that said ”˜thank you’ (to Goodall) is heartbreaking.”
“It’s so discouraging,” said Eastman “It’s part of our history.”
— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.
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