This cannon and the two smaller cannons at Fort Nisqually are the only two pieces of artillery in Tacoma's parks. There is, however, an artillery shell dislayed on the west side of the Pagoda in Point Defiance Park.
In November of 1898 the Park Board petitioned the U.S. Secretary of War for a relic from the USS Maine, whose sinking in Havana Harbor had just occurred on February 15, 1898. Many American communities sought to memorialize this tragic loss of life with a memento from the sunken battleship. In 1912, the Park District obtained a shell donated by veteran's of the Spanish-American War and installed it on a base with a commemorative bronze tablet at a grand unveiling on Memorial Day 1913. It is still in its original location, which is now a quiet area of the Japanese Garden near the Pagoda.
Spanish-American War Cannon
Dimensions: 10 feet, four inches long; 4,500 pounds
Location: Near South 5th and G streets on the east side of Wright Park
Date: Dedicated in 1900
Historical Background: Though not technically a piece of art, the origin and purpose of the Spanish-American War cannon generates curiosity among park visitors. The cannon was captured in 1898 at Morro Castle in Havana, Cuba, during the Spanish-American War. After Sen. Addison G. Foster secured it for Tacoma, Col. Albert E. Joab presented it to Mayor L.D. Campbell during a Fourth of July dedication ceremony in 1900. During the ceremony, the battleship Iowa, which played a major role in helping end the war against Spain, fired a sunrise salute from the water; the cannon fired in answer. It has not been fired since.
Last Updated: Jun 17, 2009 1:39 PM