Our Rich History
Cannon Restoration Reveals Artifact's Long History
Until recently, the historical old cannon at the Riverside Cemetery was assumed to be a Civil War cannon. That was proven wrong when somebody started to research it.
One hundred and fifteen years ago, in January 1898, President McKinley ordered the Battleship Maine to put in at Havana Harbor, in Cuba. Cuban Rebels had been struggling for three years to free Cuba from Spanish rule. American interests were also at stake, and the Spanish influence appeared to be a growing threat. The rebels had good reason for their anger, as conditions in Cuba continued to grow worse. On Feb. 15, an explosion blew the battleship apart. Immediately Spain was blamed for the incident. After it sank, Spain denied any part, calling it an accident, and even offered to aid the men caught in the explosion. Two hundred and sixty-six American lives were lost. In the frenzy to assign blame, the United States Government began a …
Stan Bond
4:24 pm on Saturday, February 23, 2013
Work has begun in earnest on restoring this historic cannon. A wagon wheel maker in Colorado is remaking the wooden wheel spokes and fellies from Kendall County white oak, while metal components are being examined and cleaned here locally. Grease was still in tact on the axles which, on disassembly, appear to be in great shape! If you are a Facebook user, you can follow restoration progress at … more ›