Somewhere in Lakewood, someone is sitting on a stolen chunk of history.
Lakewood police are looking for whoever pried loose a nearly century-old bronze plaque that honored the workers who helped extend Alameda Parkway toward Red Rocks Amphitheatre. The heavy rectangular marker, which featured a federal eagle emblem, was taken from its display near West Alameda Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard. Investigators and local preservation advocates say it was likely ripped out for scrap, a loss they describe as both criminal and cultural.
The Lakewood Police Department says plaques like this have increasingly been targeted for illegal resale as scrap and warns that removing, damaging, or possessing government markers can bring "significant felony penalties," as reported by CBS Colorado. The department adds that reputable Colorado scrap yards are required to document sellers and are trained to flag suspicious items, which could help investigators track down whoever took the plaque. Lakewood officials say the department is continuing to investigate the theft.
Local reaction and context
Leaders with the Alameda Corridor Business Improvement District, along with nearby residents, say the plaque honored roughly 5,000 Works Progress Administration workers who helped push West Alameda out to Red Rocks. Its disappearance, they argue, wipes out a very visible reminder of Lakewood's connection to New Deal projects.
"This marker was intended as a permanent record of the New Deal legacy Franklin Roosevelt built," Alameda Connects executive director Tom Quinn said, according to Westword. The outlet also reported that a Lakewood public information officer said the plaque was first noticed missing on April 10.
How to help investigators
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Kaylee Forington at [email protected], according to CBS Colorado. Authorities are urging scrap yards and metal buyers to report any attempt to sell historic government fixtures, noting that the documentation kept by reputable recyclers can be crucial in tracing stolen items back to sellers. Witnesses or businesses that think they may have seen the plaque or someone trying to unload it are asked to get in touch with the Lakewood Police Department.
Why the plaque mattered
Red Rocks Park and its amphitheater were shaped in the 1930s by Civilian Conservation Corps crews and other New Deal programs, and the area is considered one of the most significant public works landscapes from that era. The National Park Service notes that the amphitheater was among the largest CCC projects in the region and still draws more than a million visitors each year. That makes the missing marker not just a neighborhood monument, but a small metal link in a much larger national story.
