1887 Election Cannon
On a cool autumn evening in Milwaukee, thousands of men march side by side, carrying torches that light their way. Cheers and jeers from the crowd display their approval or disgust. They march with pride as they promote their candidate toward victory. In times of victory, the firing of a cannon could be heard.
Torchlight parades were a primary and popular means to advertise a charismatic candidate, entertain the people, or to celebrate a victory. When Republican Benjamin Harrison defeated Democrat Grover Cleveland to win the Presidency, the cannon saw its first action. Fired once for every electoral vote, the cannon wheeled through the streets of downtown as the parade pushed on. By the end of the procession, it had been fired 233 times! As the torchlight parades went out of style, the cannon was retired and placed in a shed near the Illinois Steel Company in Bay View.
How many historical societies can boast that they have a cannon in their collections? While misinterpreted as artillery used during the Civil War, the Society’s cannon was non-military in nature and functioned as a ceremonial piece during political events. It was originally cast in 1887 for use by the Bay View Republican Marching Club.
Rescued by attorney and civic leader Henry Otjen, the cannon was donated to the Historical Society in the 1960s, and will forever serve as a relic in Milwaukee’s storied political history.
