Historic Cannon

The Canon and The Bell

The Cannon & The Bell

The cannon was cast (made from bronze) in 1837 and purchased by the Copperopolis Blues Union Guard, a military company organized of volunteer miners. It was used for training and ceremonial purposes during the Civil War. It shot 6 lb. cannon balls and was kept at or near the Armory. The cannon had wheels at one time to move it around easily. It was shot off for holidays and funerals until the early 1900’s. Around that time it was neglected and wound up in the Union Mine scrap pile.

We almost lost the cannon when a scrap metal dealer came to town, loaded it onto his wagon and headed down the road toward Milton. William Vickery, a local resident, and the last of the remaining members of the Copperopolis Blues Union Guard, saw the cannon go by, grabbed his horse and buggy. He overtook the junk dealer on the road and returned the cannon to town.

As far as we know, the cannon laid under the stilted-up rear of the post office for years. Some folks wanted the cannon to be returned to the mine and others wanted it to be mounted at the old school. William Vickery guarded it with a sawed off shotgun until the controversies died down. Mrs. Botcher had it repaired by Charles Hartsoon in 1881. It wasn’t until 1935 when the town’s people held a benefit dance and supper at the Armory for the purpose of providing money to mount the cannon on the old school grounds and properly inscribe it. In 1936 Charlie Stone helped move the cannon to the school grounds were it was set in cement in front of the old school house. Due to the new buildings on the school site, in 1989 the cannon was again moved and stored around town, even at McCarty’s store. Finally, it was prominently placed once again at Copperopolis Elementary School in the 1990’s.

The bell was cast in 1860 and placed upon the first schoolhouse in Copperopolis in 1862. The bell yoke shows repair from a break probably from the school fire of 1906. The original schoolhouse was a two-story building located south of the present Masonic Cemetery. The bell was stolen by a sorority from University of Pacific College in Stockton and was missing for about 20 years. It was recovered by Charlie and Rhoda Stone from the basement of the University after a call from the Dean inquiring if we were missing a bell. The bell and the cannon were placed on the school grounds at the same time.

The Bell