Reward offered for stolen historical marker in memory of lynching victim
PRICES CORNER, Delaware (WPVI) -- A reward has been offered for the return of a historical marker in memory of a lynching victim in Delaware that has gone missing.
A resident noticed that the sign was gone from Greenbank Park in New Castle County on Friday.
Crime Stoppers is now offering a reward of up to $2,000 to anyone who provides information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of those responsible for the crime.
The blue marker that identifies the site of the 1903 lynching of George White was just put up in June.
The news is especially heartbreaking for 16-year-old Savannah Shepherd who spent a year working to get the sign set up in that location.
"I'm shocked that this is happening right now, but I think it would be expected that there may be some - something could happen to a marker. But I'm just hoping this is just more opportunity to continue talking about what happened," Shepherd said. "My goal is that whoever did do it, we can have a conversation about why the marker is here and what we planned to talk about with the marker and that's to spread equality. Not forgetting what has happened."
The sign reads:
On June 23, 1903, George White, a black farm laborer, was lynched near this site by a mob of white citizens. After being accused of murdering a white girl on June 16, Mr. White was taken to the New Castle County Workhouse to await trial. On June 21, a local minister urged at least 3,000 white residents to exact swift public vengeance. The next evening, a mob stormed the jail and carried Mr. White to Price's Corner. He was tortured and burned alive on June 23 in front of hundreds of spectators, who took pieces of his remains as souvenirs. No one was convicted for Mr. White's lynching, one of over 4000 racial terror lynchings from 1877 to 1950.
The historical marker was supplied by the State Historical and Cultural Affairs and cost around $2,200.
If you have any information about the missing historical marker, you're asked to contact New Castle County police at 302-573-2800.
