Waterville’s Cannon

If you live in Waterville, or even the surrounding areas, you've likely driven by this cannon, just of Front Street in Castonguay Square, many, many times. But just how did a German cannon come to a final resting place in Waterville, Maine?

Our history lesson begins in late 2014, when the City received information about the cannon from James Schoenung, Ph.D., a curator at a private artillery museum in Pennsylvania.

Dr. Schoenung had been recently in Waterville and stopped to admire the cannon. He informed us that our cannon is a German howitzer, designed in the early 1890's. The howitzer is constructed out of nickel steel and remained in service by reserve units throughout WWI. It is known as the 15cm sFH93 (Schwere Feld Haubitze - or heavy field howitzer), Model 1893. This nearly 5,000 lb. cannon would have been pulled by a team of 6 draft horses and fired 90 lb. explosive projectiles over a distance of 3.5 miles! Approximately 600 of this particular cannon were built.

We published a City newsletter article in November/December 2014, asking if anyone had additional information on how Waterville acquired this interesting piece of military history. As a result, local historian Bill Arnold, forwarded a Morning Sentinel article dated November 9, 1925, to the Administration office. This article indicated that the howitzer was a captured German cannon requisitioned by the local George N Bourque American Legion Post when it was announced that the government would be distributing all captured German ordnance.* The American Legion paid for all freight to have the cannon delivered to Waterville and presented it to the City during a major celebration and parade on Armistice Day, Wednesday, November 11, 1925. It was expected that all ex-service men in Waterville and Winslow would march in the parade to escort it. The cannon was then placed on a permanent concrete base in Castonguay Square.

The 1925 Armistice Day celebration was a largely attended event, being called an ex-service man's muster. The Morning Sentinel article read, "The Ex-Service Man's Muster committee reports that returns already indicate one of the most successful parades on record. Special pains are being taken to duplicate as far as possible the spirit of jollification and fun of the first Armistice Day seven years ago Wednesday (1918). People who were in Waterville on that day will remember the scenes of jubilation, the ringing of the bells, the tooting of whistles, and the gay crowds in the streets. Those veterans who were on the western front in France on that day will remember totally different scenes. They will remember rolling kitchens and hot dinners in the front line trenches, mud that was momentarily forgotten and some will even recall how their late foes, the Germans, crossed no-man's land to shake hands with them….It will be a real Armistice day celebration this year: parade in the morning, dinner at noon at the Legion hall, football in the afternoon at which all ex-service men and friends will sit together, and Legion Follies and dance in the evening." - The Morning Sentinel, Germany Gun to Be Placed on Permanent Base in City Square, November 9, 1925

Ordnance: mounted guns; artillery

Photos

• Top left: Present Day – the Cannon in Castonguay Square
•  Bottom Right: 1950’s postcard of the Cannon in Castonguay Square