The Story of our Cannon

 Brought to Detroit by British troops after Pontiac's Uprising in 1763, this "4 Pounder" cannon was on of the smaller pieces of artillery at Fort Detroit. The name indicates that id fired a four pound ball. Research indicates that the British commander ordered this cannon, along with several others, dumped in the Detroit River to dispose of them prior to turning the fort over to the Americans in 1776.

Forged in England in the mid- 1700s, this cast iron barrel bears the crest of King George II (1727-1760), as well as several markings "11 -1-4" indicating the weight of the cannon, 1,264 pounds.

In 1987, a group of divers from the Detroit Police Department Underwater Recovery Team and the Dossin Great Lakes Museum found this cannon and recovered it. To date, six barrels have been salvaged, the most recent surfacing in October 2011. All were found in close proximity to each other about two hundred feet from the riverwalk adjacent to Huntington Place, formerly known as Cobo Hall.

Displayed at the Port Authority Facility, near where it rested underwater for two centuries, this cannon reminds us that our boarder was not always as peaceful and friendly as it has been since the War of 1812.

This cannon is on loan courtesy of the Detroit Historical Society.