Celebrate the one-year anniversary of the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial Shrine’s cannon at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 20, in Smiley Park, between the Lincoln Shrine and A.K. Smiley Public Library.
Manufactured by Trail Rock Ordnance of Tennessee and donated by the Nies family, the reproduction Model 1857 Napoleon 12-pounder field gun was dedicated in August 2021. Overseen by the 1st Pennsylvania Light Artillery, the inaugural firing demonstration took place in Smiley Park with more than 150 spectators in attendance.
Displayed in the park for the past year, the cannon will once again be fired at this year’s celebratory program, which will include a brief introduction to the use of artillery during the Civil War by members of the 1st Pennsylvania Light Artillery, music by the Camp Carleton Cornet Band, and an appearance by President Abraham Lincoln presenter Robert Broski.
“Over the past year, many visitors have asked about the cannon and wondered if it would be fired again," A.K. Smiley Special Collections Manager Maria Carrillo Colato explained. “We’re glad to have an opportunity to once again bring a program that can both place the cannon in historical context and entertain the community."
This event is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and/or blankets. Large umbrellas are discouraged.
The Lincoln Memorial Shrine is located at the A.K. Smiley Public Library campus, 125 W. Vine Street. For more information, call the Heritage Room at (909)798-7632 or visit www.lincolnshrine.org.
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