LIVERMORE FALLS — Don Simoneau plans to ask selectmen Tuesday for permission to raise money to repair and stabilize a World War I cannon that sits in Union Park. He also plans to raise money to replace the 120 flags that hang on poles in Jay and Livermore Falls.
The meeting is at 6:30 p.m. July 15 at the Town Office.
The left wheel on the cannon collapsed and the right one was rotting out, the Fayette veteran said Monday.
“When the other wheel caved in, I thought the cannon was going to tip over,” he said.
He jacked up the cannon, which has a 796-pound barrel, using two eight-ton bottle jacks, and placed cement blocks under it to steady it until it can be repaired.
The original axle had been replaced with a smaller one to fit smaller wheels, he said. He wants to put back a 14-inch hub and axle, the size of the original, he said.
“It is going to take some time and money,” Simoneau said.
The cannon is probably from World War I, he said. The barrel was manufactured by Watervlift Arsenal in 1898, according to the words on the cannon.
“The project is to replace the wheels that are rotted out, which will have new axles for the wheels,” he said. “I also want to fix up some of the rot on the cannon, stabilize it and have it repainted.”
He has a contractor who will pour a cement slab for the cannon to rest on for free, he said.
Ware-Butler donated the cement blocks, he said.
The Grand Army of the Republic donated the land for Union Park. There were four buildings on it, including houses and a stable, and members had them moved to make room for a park, he said.
The cannon was donated by GAR in memory of the boys and girls who served their country in the World War 1917-1919.
It was presented to the “public schools of East Livermore in April 1922” by Edwin Riley, past Department Commander of Maine Grand Army of the Republic, according to the plaque. The cannon had sat on the hill leading to the former Livermore Falls High School. The town is now known as Livermore Falls.
Simoneau estimates it will cost about $3,000 to fix the cannon. To replace the 120 3- by 5-foot flags it will be another $2,300 to $2,400, he said. They are about $25 each.
He believes he can raise the money.
“This is a great community, better than any around,” Simoneau said of the area towns. “There’s no place like it. The Legion, VFW, AMVETS and Knights of Columbus work together. I’ve traveled all over the place and there is no place like it.”
He said he expects the cannon to be in good shape when it is finished.
“When I get done, it will roll again,” Simoneau said.
dperry@sunjournal.com
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- Don Simoneau of Fayette plans to ask Livermore Falls selectmen Tuesday for permission to repair a World War I cannon in Union Park in Livermore Falls.
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- A World War I cannon donated by the Grand Army of the Republic and installed at Union Park in Livermore Falls is in need of repair.
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- This World War I cannon in Union Park in Livermore Falls is in need of repair. The wheels have rotted off and need to be replaced.
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