UNION – The historic jail in Union helps chronicle jail breaks and law enforcement in the 1900s railroad town of Union, but now there’s also a story of redemption.

Scott Kelsay, a 20-year resident of Union, was among those who felt the loss when the village learned someone had cut the heavy iron hinges, ripped an iron rod from the concrete wall and carried the door away into the night.

Kelsay: “It was kind of devastating to the community because this is a part of history that has been here as long as the village has. To see somebody come and vandalize it, it’s heartbreaking almost.”

He said the old jail and an iconic railroad caboose are the village’s key points of interest.

His son Nathan lead a restoration project of the old Missouri Pacific Lines caboose as an Eagle Scout project. The caboose was professionally repainted and the railroad provided stencils for the authentic lettering. The village board built the deck and viewing area.

The village's plan to restore the jail got a boost when the iron door was returned with a note inside of Ziplock bag.

Note: “I want to sincerely apologize to this little town for stealing your door.”

The writer said drug use led to the theft. But the writer went on to say he or she has “gotten clean and am changing my life for the better.”

 

Kelsay: “We’re trying to revitalize the community and then somebody comes in and does something like this, it’s a bad deal. To hear that it had been brought back was just a total blessing because there is no way you could duplicate what was taken.”

He hopes the incident will add a new chapter to the jail’s history, to include a story of redemption.

Kelsay: “I hope that the person that did this will, this impact that he just did, will help other people realize that 'hey, we need get cleaned up. We need to do the right thing instead of wrong.'"

The tiny jail served as a holding cell in the early 1900s, since transport of lawbreakers to the county jail took a while back then.

Village Clerk Melissa Hansen told Cassgram that it is actually the second door the building has had. Many years ago the original door was bashed during a jailbreak.