CLARENCE, N.Y. — "We're trying to preserve the history of the town of Clarence," said Clarence Historical Society President Doug Larkin.
Larkin runs the Clarence History Museum on Main street, nestled in the heart of the town.
Six months ago, a well-known family in Clarence donated a 1912 Victorian wedding dress to the museum. Larkin says it was a beautiful centerpiece to its current Victorian-era display.
"It's a prominent family in town," Larkin said."1912 wedding dress, hand-sewn for this family. And historically, it meant a lot to us and to the town of Clarence."
Last month Larkin and his wife were bringing items to the museum.
"She came around the corner and started screaming that the dress was gone," he said.
The couple saw the Victorian wedding dress was missing and that only an empty mannequin remained.
"We called the sheriff's department right away," Larkin said. "Erie County Sheriff's came out and took a report."
While searching the museum, Larkin found another artifact missing, a ceramic doll that was not on display yet. The doll was stolen from the office in the museum. Larkin soon discovered the museum's security system had been deactivated.
"Somebody had a key and the code for the alarm system because the alarm never was set off," he said.
Larkin says this is the first theft to happen at the museum. The Erie County Sheriff's Office is investigating, but Larkin hopes whoever stole them will return them.
"We're hoping they have a conscience and they realize what they did, realize the value to the Historical Society of these items, and would just anonymously drop them off," he said.
If you have any information about this case you are asked to contact the Erie County Sheriff's Office at (716) 858-7618.