Tiffin Train Depot vandalized

If you are from Tiffin, you have mostly likely heard of the Tiffin Train Depot. For years it has served as a tranquil and beautiful historical part of town. People come to have professional pictures taken for many events like high school dances and senior pictures. Many come with their families to enjoy the beauty and well-maintained piece of history. The depot is considered by many a treasure for the area that has been maintained admirably by Larry Breidenbaugh. When Breidenbaugh came out to the depot last Saturday afternoon, however, he found that the depot had been vandalized. "My heart sank and I felt sick," Breidenbaugh said. He had put 12 years of his life into the depot, he said, making it a beautiful spot for the community to enjoy. The depot has been vandalized multiple times in the past, including at least two times in 2017, but Breidenbaugh said the damage was nowhere near as extensive then as it was this time. "Two $5,000 pillars were knocked down and broken, stone was thrown into the water and it shattered, light bulbs were taken out and thrown, extension cords were stolen and large stones overturned. "What disgusts me the most is that whoever did this opened a bottle of Round Up and threw it in, killing all the goldfish," Breidenbaugh said as he walked through the damage this week. The vandals threw various items into into the pond and ruined the front water fall pump, Breidenbaugh said, among other damage. Breidenbaugh was visibly upset as he talked about the anger that the vandals seemed to have taken out on the depot. "I don't understand why anyone would want to do this. They took away from me, but the worst part is they took it away from other people," he said. "I do this for the community, not for myself. So many people are hurt by what they did." Breidenbaugh said he is offering a $500 reward for information that leads to the people responsible being caught. "Tiffin Police Department is doing a tremendous job investigating this," he said. "We have evidence that will lead to the vandals being caught. They will be caught, I know that." Breidenbaugh said he plans to donate the depot to the Tiffin Community Foundation, so it can never be sold and will remain a special place for the community. He said the community support and outreach touched him and further showed just how important the depot is to Tiffin. If you have information about the people who vandalized the depot, call the Tiffin Police Department at (419) 447-2323.