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Beaman cannon to ‘come to life’ during annual Memorial Day weekend activities

T-R PHOTO BY CHUCK FRIEND - This 105-mm Howitzer (made in 1915) graces the city of Beaman's Main Street and will "come to life" during the upcoming Memorial Day weekend activities.

BEAMAN — The vintage World War I 105-mm howitzer cannon that graces the Main Street of the Central Iowa community, will “come to life” on May 25 during the annual kids day and Gemini run activities in Beaman on Memorial weekend.

Beaman Legion Commander Marlin Moeller said he asked the organizers of the Saturday morning activities if there was any way that the Legion could offer their help. Along with staging kids races, Moeller wanted to bring some attention to the old cannon by having it fire coins for a kids scramble – instead of the shells it did in its glory day.

“We will have the kids divided into age groups and then fire one of our rifles into the air, while tossing coins of many denominations in front of the cannon to make it look as if they were being shot out of the howitzer itself,” Moeller said.

The event will also give area residents a chance to brush up on the history that the old cannon presents – something that Beaman residents should be proud of.

“For many years two identical howitzers graced the front sidewalk area of the Beaman School, first arriving in the 1920s or 1930s,” Moeller said. “Many area residents can probably remember sitting on them, playing on them or having their pictures taken with them.”

But for some reason, the cannons were removed around 1959 and taken to the wooded area east of the baseball field, commonly known as “The Greens.” They had become the targets of pranksters – especially around Halloween time when they often were shoved off their stations or into the street.

“Putting them in the woods created a large problem, as throughout time the wheels sunk into the soft dirt and began ruining some of the spokes,” Moeller said.

Several years later the Beaman city officials learned that the Iowa State Fair was looking for antiques to display around Pioneer Hall. The cannons had the history that the fair was looking for as they were 1908 model howitzers – manufactured in 1915 at the Rock Island Arsenal.

Moeller said the cannons were moved to Des Moines and with a “Donated by the town of Beaman, Iowa” sign placed near them. But that’s not the end of the story.

Moeller said several years later it was noticed that the spokes in the old wheels of the cannons on the fairgrounds were looking so bad one thought the old canons would fall over. And he indicated that a number of the Beaman town folk inquired about what was going to happen to them.

“Sen. John Putney was chairman of the fairgrounds at the time and wanted to restore the spokes, but said they had no money to do it with,” Moeller said. “The Beaman American Legion offered to repair the spokes, but on the condition that they could have one of the cannons back to be positioned near the new Heritage Hall and Library on Main Street.”

After a deal was made – which included many trips to Des Moines and to Stutsman Buggy Shop in Hazleton – all four wheels were repaired. One cannon remains near Pioneer Hall in Des Moines (to this day) and the other came back to Beaman.

“The cannon in Beaman is in good shape, but it is not known if the one in Des Moines is or not,” Moeller said. “We don’t want to see it scraped if it is not, because if that was to ever happen the Legion would like to see it reunited here in Beaman with its companion.”

Moeller said that with Memorial Day fast approaching, he felt it would be great if something could be done to help the community remember the old guns that were a part of our American freedom.

“If anyone has pictures, comments or information about the Beaman Cannons (Howitzers) please drop them off at the Beaman Library so they can be displayed,” Moeller said.

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