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After a long history of relocation and upkeep, the city’s own original WWI cannon found its new resting place at the Elgin Depot Museum.
Elgin’s proud veterans, officials and residents gathered to commemorate the piece of international history by chronicling the details of its tour through the city.
“If this old cannon could talk, it would be so tired,” said Elgin Depot Museum volunteer Sandy Murphree.
The 77 mm weapon originally belonged to Germany but was used by an American ship as ballast after the war to help bring it ashore. Several of these cannons were then distributed to cities across America, and a request from Elginites all those years ago brought one here.
“The cannon is a symbol of all the citizens of Elgin who participated in WWI,” said VFW Post 6115 Commander John Quagliani. “The city of Elgin has honored veterans throughout its history. Today we acknowledge all those citizens of Elgin who have volunteered to defend America. This cannon represents those brave young men and women.”
Originally stationed at what was once City Park, the cannon arrived damaged and continued to rust for several decades. It then stayed in storage until 1972, when it was brought back out for the city’s centennial celebration.
Cleaned and freshly painted, it remained in downtown Veterans’ Memorial Park until deterioration set back in. Its original wooden wheels molded beyond repair, and it was sent back to storage once more.
A team of local laborers, including Mayor Theresa McShan’s father, were able to craft and implement new iron wheels and return it to the park a few years later.
Now, with the Veterans’ Memorial Park expansion in full swing, the cannon needed to be moved once more.
“It’s exciting, this is where the cannon belongs, in a museum. We are wonderful and grateful for the fact that we have a museum, there are many cities that don’t have one,” added McShan.
The museum, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, is owned and maintained by the city.
The cannon is now somewhere it can be cherished and interpreted more, continuing to grow and develop the museum, according to the mayor.
The Elgin Depot Museum also features lists of names of local veterans from WWI and more, a task that took volunteers three years to complete.
The cannon can be found in all of its glory at 14 Depot Street.
