Our Past Is Present December 12, 2018

December 12, 2018

            This is “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.

            If you were reading on Monday, we had a story about the old Spanish cannon that was a prominent fixture near the fountain in Heritage Park.  The cannon was a “war souvenir” brought back by members of Company “L” from their service in Manila in the Philippines. 

            In an article in the newspaper on December 12, 1898, the author stated that the cannon “bore the date of 1799 and looked as though it had been used ever since Noah did business.  Yet it was in splendid shape.  The gun was mounted on wooden wheels with a wooden carriage and was engraved with the words “Presented to Junction City, November, 1899. 

            However, sometime during WWII the cannon disappeared.  In the “Daily Union” newspaper of August 29, 1942, there was an article titled “Historic Cannon May Be Scrapped To Aid Nation’s War Effort.”  Apparently local officials had decided to contribute two historic cannons to the nation’s scrap metal drive.  One of those was located on the courthouse grounds and the other was the cannon gifted to the city by Company L – the 1799 Spanish cannon, which had been on display in Heritage Park.

            So, if you go to Heritage Park looking for that famous Spanish cannon – well it won’t be there and now you know the reason and …..that’s our story today on “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.