San Bernardino has a fascinating heritage and there are historic treasures throughout the city. Places like the Santa Fe Depot, the California Theatre of the Performing Arts and the old Harris’ building are well known. There are many lesser-known “historic elements,” not buildings, here that need to be identified and saved.
One of the most intriguing relics that fortunately has been identified and is safe from destruction is an old cannon, now resting on the grounds of the San Bernardino Historical and Pioneer Society.
The actual age and origin of the mortar is unknown, but the scant information available indicates that in 1818, the “12-pounder” was one of four cannons brought from Mexico to help defend San Diego from pirate ships raiding along the California coast.
As the war between the U.S. and Mexico was winding down, the cannon was brought to Los Angeles and installed at Fort Moore. The Mormon Battalion helped build the fort, designed for six cannons. In 1848, Mexico surrendered and the garrison was withdrawn. And when the fort was decommissioned in 1853, the cannon was disregarded and buried with other remains of the fort.
The old cannon was once located at the Native Sons of the Golden West in San Bernardino, but has since been moved to the San Bernardino Historical and Pioneer Society. (Courtesy of San Bernardino Historical and Pioneer Society)
Three years later in 1856, William McDonald, an undertaker and owner of a furniture store in San Bernardino heard the story of the abandoned cannon. He found the location, loaded the old weapon on a carreta hitched to a team of oxen and brought it to San Bernardino. The cannon was placed in front of his furniture store on Third Street between C Street, now Arrowhead Avenue, and D Street.
During the early 1850s, the relationship between the Mormons and the relatively few non-Mormons, often referred to as Independents, in the town of San Bernardino was affable most of the time. However, as the nonconformists increased in number, a great deal of rivalry developed.
In 1856, the year the old cannon was brought to San Bernardino, the Independents decided upon a Fourth of July celebration open to all, but the church party immediately announced a separate celebration.
Fort Benson (Courtesy of San Bernardino Historical and Pioneer Society)
The contest began when the Independents put up a 60-foot flagpole at their celebration site on Third Street between Arrowhead and D in front of McDonald’s furniture store. Carefully eying their competitors from their celebration headquarters at what is now Pioneer Park, the Mormons mounted a 100-foot pole. Then the Independents ran up a new flag on their pole, quickly followed by a much larger one by their counterparts.
This competition continued — the Independents put together a patriotic chorus followed by the Mormons coming up with a band of instruments, which made more noise.
The Independents got the upper hand in the end.
After the Mormons fired salutes with a little brass “pop gun,” the Independents brought out the cannon, which was placed it in front of McDonald’s store.
When the old cannon let loose with a resounding boom, there was no doubt which side won the friendly “battle.”
In early 1857, an independent named Jerome Benson, fuming over a dispute regarding land claims with Mormon leaders, mounted the cannon in front of his home at Homoa, near today’s Loma Linda, daring anyone to evict him from what he dubbed “Fort Benson.” The following year, when roughly 60% of Mormon residents responded to Church President Brigham Young’s recall back to Salt Lake, Benson was able to retain property of the property.
Then, as the impending Civil War that would soon tear apart the country was drawing near, the old cannon was once again briefly commissioned.
In 1859, a political battle between San Bernardino’s two physicians — Union supporter Alonzo Ainsworth and Southern sympathizer Franklin “Frank” Gentry — became more heated.
After the two doctors failed to hit their targets during a gun dual, Gentry got together some of his friends from El Monte with intentions of wiping out his adversary.
Friends of Ainsworth took their scared comrade to Bethel Coopwood’s adobe home at the corner of E and Church streets where he was guarded from Gentry’s mob. During the night the Ainsworth group lined up in the cornfield surrounding the house, whereupon the notorious “El Monte Boys” hauled out the old Spanish cannon, loaded it, and threatened to blow up the house.
Sidney Waite (Courtesy of San Bernardino Historical and Pioneer Society)
Fortunately, one of Ainsworth’s guards, Sidney Waite, managed to reach the cannon unnoticed and spiked it by using a rat tail file before the antiquated arsenal could cause real damage.
After this, the old cannon would sound off during special occasions in San Bernardino.
According to an article by Arthur Kearney, editor of the San Bernardino Guardian, on May 27, 1876, the last date of it doing “saluting service” was May Day 1864. But he also noted that William McDonald and Waite were in the process of cleaning the old relic for the country’s upcoming Centennial Celebration so that it could make one final blast and “thunder its salute to our starry banner.”
The old cannon is safe, but there are many seldom-recognized relics throughout San Bernardino’s city parks that still need to be identified before it is too late.
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From 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, there will be a historic elements “Windshield Survey” training session open to the public at the San Bernardino Historical and Pioneer Society at 796 North D Street in San Bernardino. If interested, please come and join us.
Contact Nick Cataldo at Yankeenut15@gmail.com and read more of his local history articles at Facebook.com/BackRoadsPress.
