Workers at the Old Depot Museum are angry.

Around 1 p.m. Monday, more than $40,000 worth of artifacts and antiques dating back to the 1800s and early 1900s were found missing from the museum’s fire engine house.

David Hurlbut, archivist for the museum, said a handmade fire grenade (to throw on a fire to extinguish it), a photograph of the first African-American fire chief and hose nozzles made of brass were gone during a tour Monday.

“I don’t know all that was taken, but it’s too much to keep track off,” Hurlbut said. “It’s just so depressing, I’m angry.”

Jean Martin, curator of the museum, said the incident makes her sick to her stomach.

“No windows were broken, no doors were kicked in,” Martin said. “Someone knows something.”

Hurlbut believes whoever has stolen the brass, chrome and metal may try to sell it as scrap material. He is disappointed at the slow depreciation of Selma’s history.

“We have at least 500 years of artifacts in the museum,” Hurlbut said. “People visit Selma for something different, for something that other cities and towns don’t offer — like the Pilgrimage or Civil War. Those stolen items cannot be replaced. This is a direct attack against tourism.”

Robert Gordon, board member for Old Depot Museum, said “something needs to be done” about copper theft and general “lawlessness” in the community.

“This is just unbelievable,” Gordon said.

“It’s a shame that Selma has turned into this type of community. We definitely need more security, we just need to do it.”

The incident is still under investigation.