Published: August 08, 2008 02:20 pm            

Cannon discussion continues during Supervisors meeting

Knoxville Mayor Harv Sprafka attended Monday’s regular Marion County Board of Supervisors meeting and took advantage of the public comments portion of the agenda. Sprafka, echoing a guest editorial he wrote for the Knoxville Journal-Express and Pella Chronicle, believes the cannon on the courthouse lawn is symbolic of the Knoxville-Pella rivalry.

Sprafka was speaking as a citizen, not on behalf of his office or the people of Knoxville. With the addition of the Veterans Memorial just a few feet from the cannon, Sprafka believes it might be time to retire the artillery.

“Maybe it is time for that cannon to be removed,” Sprafka said.

The cannon, a three-inch M5 1942, was placed there in April 1948. According to the April 15, 1948, Knoxville Journal, the cannon is a replacement for a relic that used to stand on the courthouse lawn. The former cannon was a relic from the Civil War that was retired in 1902. It was added to the 1942 scrap pile to be melted down to aid in the World War II effort. The U.S. Army shipped the 1942 cannon to Knoxville to replace the Civil War relic.

The cannon’s current position, some say, aims the barrel at Pella. Pella also has a cannon. An article appeared most recently in the 2008 Tulip Time section, about the cannon in the park. The last line of the article reads, “The ‘Big Gun’ still stands there guarding the downtown from any invaders in from the southwest.”

The Civil War cannon in Knoxville may not have faced Pella. The 1948 article also tells the tale of a group of “boys” who loaded the old cannon’s barrel with brickbat. They lit off a fuse and sent brickbat across Robinson Street through the T.V. Hart abstract office. Robinson Street runs along the south side of the courthouse.

The Army loaned Knoxville’s cannon to American Legion Post 168. It was actually used in World War II. Every three years, according to Legion Commander Jack Spaur, he has to send paperwork to the Army to let them know the Legion still has it.

“It’s been sitting there for 60 years and nobody’s had a problem with it,” Spaur said of the cannon. “I don’t know where we’d put it in Marion County.”

Supervisor Howard Pothoven reacted to Sprafka’s suggestion by saying that he should not have written his town rivalry editorial. He believes the idea of a rivalry is childish.

“I’m sorry. I saw it as being necessary,” Pothoven said.

“I don’t know that we need the cannon,” Supervisor Dwight Mater said. He is not opposed to a fun rivalry between the towns, often carried out in sports, though he says he is past the stage of taking it seriously.

“I think a nice, friendly rivalry between Knoxville and Pella is great,” Mater said.

Sprafka added that the cooperation and collaboration between the towns has greatly improved. He said he is in constant contact with Pella’s business and civic leaders. Sprafka agreed with Mater’s point about sports.

“I think rivalries are important,” Sprafka said.

Board Chairman Sam Nichols said he would prefer an open area on the courthouse lawn where the cannon sits. It could be a liability for the county if children climb on it and fall, he added.

Pella Mayor Darrell Dobernecker said in the 43 years he has lived in Pella, he had not heard anything about the direction the cannon is pointing until reading Sprafka’s editorial.

“I never had that mentioned,” he said. Dobernecker added that after reading the editorial, one Pella resident made a joke that Pella’s cannon was pointed that way because of an old football rivalry.

“Other than that, I’ve had no inquiry whatsoever,” Dobernecker said. He added that he has “tremendous respect for the people of Knoxville” and he believes that trying to move Pella’s cannon now may create new controversy.

Because the discussion was mentioned during public comments and was not on the agenda, no action was taken.

        

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