Spanish-American War Cannon Melted Down for War Effort-- Part 3

Stories have it that local boys would often pack the barrel with gunpowder and fire it, breaking windows in homes bordering the park.

On Oct. 6,1942, the USWV chapter passed a resolution allowing for the cannon to be melted down, but nothing was done about it until mid-December when four Morris Tick employees spent several hours chipping away at the stone base upon which the gun was mounted.

The gun barrel weighed in at 5,695 pounds and was 80% copper, 10% tin, 8% lead and the rest silver.

Morris Tick paid the city $541.03 for it and the Bloomington then used that money to buy war bonds. When those bonds matured, the city used the money to purchase a 5,000 pound World War II artillery piece which was put in place at Miller Park.

It was dedicated April 25, 1949, on the 51st anniversary of the start of the Spanish-American War.

An Interesting Story About the War Effort. --GreGen