The Daily News reported on Sept. 9, 1999, that four teenage boys, ages 13 and 14, told the police “they wanted to see what happened” when they put rocks and metal debris on railroad tracks.

What happened was two train workers died, eight train cars, including three engines, derailed off the tracks, and it caused over $2 million in damage. It was the first derailment Bowling Green had experienced in over 30 years.

Although tampering with railroad travel is a federal offense, the case was turned over to local authorities, and no federal charges were placed.

— “Way Back When in Warren County” is compiled by researchers at the Warren County Public Library and appears twice weekly in the Bowling Green Daily News. For more information about the library, visit warrenpl.org.