Ready for battle (sort of): Perrysburg's iconic cannons return to Riverside Park
Oct. 16—Perrysburg employee Craig Hufford spent the past six months or so molding history with his bare hands. And on Saturday, the fruits of his labor were unveiled for all to see.
The building maintenance technician has had his hands in making and repairing a lot of items throughout the city, but earlier this year he was tasked with creating the new carriage and wheels to hold the refurbished Riverside Park cannons, which are replicas of the ones on the USS Constitution — the 1812 warship nicknamed "Old Ironsides" that was active in the Battle of 1812.
Since 1934, the cannons have overlooked the Maumee River from Perrysburg's Riverside Park, but last year officials noted the cannons were showing their age while the carriage and wheels were badly in need of repair. So while the heavy cast iron cannons were shipped off to be refurbished, Mr. Hufford took on the task of remaking the carriages to scale with those that would have been used when the real cannons sat aboard the USS Constitution.
After months of work, the heavy cannons and carriages alike were transported back to Riverside Park where on Saturday their coverings were removed before a crowd of about 30 attendees there to witness the rededication of the long guns, which have grown to become one of the city's icons.
"It's kinda cool. I've done a lot of different projects for the city in the time that I've worked here and I've done a bunch of things around the city that I can be proud of, I guess," Mr. Hufford said.
Among those in attendance included Mr. Hufford's family along with Perrsyburg Mayor Tom Mackin, city councilman Deborah Born, members of the American Legion, and former Perrysburg council member State Rep. Haraz Ghanbari (R., Perrysburg).
Cast in 1904, the two Perrysburg cannons were two of 33 replicas made that were later purchased and shipped to various locations throughout the United States. Perrysburg officials installed them at their current spot on May 23, 1934, and they stood there ever since, said Way Public Library's Local History Librarian, Richard Baranowski, who presided over Saturday's rededication ceremony.
He also played a role in helping city officials make the cannon carriages by finding the blueprints for the original 1906 cannon carriages from the USS Constitution.
In his speech to the crowd Saturday, he explained that the cannons from the USS Constitution were never used in battle in Perrysburg. Instead, the cannon replicas were acquired because it was believed they would be a credit to the memory of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, who drove the British from Lake Erie — and for whom Perrysburg is named.
Ms. Born said the city approved to spend about $20,000 for the project, one that she and Mayor Mackin agree was long overdue.
"This is better than what was here five years ago and how it was originally set up," Mr. Mackin said. "I think it's really important that when we did it, we did it right, respecting their legacy. This is how the cannons would have really looked on the [USS] Constitution and so going forward this now just further enhances this park that we've been working to improve and make more accessible."
