In One Ear: Cannon comes home

Published 12:15 am Thursday, August 17, 2023

An interesting tidbit and colorized photo from the Cannon Beach History Center and Museum’s (@cannonbeachmuseum) Instagram feed:

“In 1846, the Navy schooner Shark foundered in an attempt to cross the Columbia River Bar. Upon hitting a rock, the Shark broke apart and some of the wreckage drifted south, washing ashore below Hug Point.

“Uncovered by a winter storm in 1898, Bill Luce found the cannon and, along with John Gerritse and his team (of) horses, they hauled the cannon from the sand and placed it in front of the Austin House Cannon Beach Post Office, at the time located in present-day Arch Cape.

“The cannon’s journey was still not over! After being housed in the Austin House hotel barn, at some point, it came into the possession of Mel Goodwin who, in 1965, moved it to a site on (U.S.) Highway 101 donated by George Van Vleet, the principal logger of the region.

“In 1989, it was moved yet again, this time for safekeeping to the Heritage Museum in Astoria. After 143 years, it returned to the place where its journey had begun. Today, the cannon is on permanent display here, at the Cannon Beach History Center and Museum, free to visit for all who wish to learn.”