I’ve said it before: You guys are good.
I was sure last week’s Photo Challenge would be tough. Tim Woodruff’s image showed something dark, and rough textured. It could have been anything. (Water cascading over the old Embalmer’s Supply dam, someone suggested.)
But most of you knew — and quickly — that it was a close-up of one of the Compo Beach cannons.
It’s one of our town’s most beloved spots. Generations of Westporters have climbed and played on the cannons (and been photographed by other generations.)
Still, I’m impressed so many readers could identify them so easily. Kudos to Sharon Paulsen, Will Hamilton, Dan Herman, Andrew Colabella, Joyce Barnhart, Fran Taylor, Wendy Cusick, Mary Schmerker and Carla Fostet. (Click here for that very up-close look.)
So you like cannons? Here’s one!
If you know where in Westport you can find it, click “Comments” below.
(Photo/Mark Mathias)
That’s one of the original Combo cannons now at the VFW
VFW
VFW
Come on Dan, I thought it was supposed to be a challenge. That is one of the original cannons from Compo remounted in front of the VFW.
It is indeed one of the original cannons from Compo Beach, remounted in front of the VFW on Riverside Avenue. To Jacques Voris’ comment above: This is a challenge to the many Westporters who pass by every day, and never notice it!
VFW Joseph J Clinton Post 399
The original cannon 🇺🇸
Great job by Rick on the restoration👍🏼🇺🇸
The cannon restoration project was done by the Westport Rotary Club in 1999 as part of their 75th anniversary celebration, led by Rick Benson. The fragile, original cannon was moved from the beach to the VFW.
I know who planted the cherry bombs that cracked that cannon.
Cannons at the VFW
VFW cannon
In front of the VFW
VFW clinton post
Peter
Sent from my iPhone
VFW
VFW
VFW post on Saugatuck Ave.
Hi Tom Leyden. Seriously, I can’t believe for a minute that “cherry bombs” blew up the cannon at the beach that night. Mere fireworks wouldn’t make a dent, or even a scratch, in that dense, solid iron cannon.
And surely “fireworks” would not have awakened our entire household in the pitch black early hours of the morning about 1/2 a mile away in our beds in Owenoke.
When the event woke us all up my father put my brother and me in the car, in our pajamas, and drove to the beach but it was so dark that we saw nothing… I’m not sure we even thought of the cannons, we just drove around the beach – my dad thought it might have been a boat in the basin which had blown up and sunk. Everything was quiet. We saw no other cars.
In the morning I jumped on my bike (I must have been about 11 or 12 yrs. at the time) to see what I could see. Wow! Giant pieces of the cannon half buried in the sand, as much as 25 feet away. Smaller pieces scattered all around. I was astonished. Complete destruction. I actually saw it all in pieces with my own eyes, as did many others as time passed. Kudos to those who put Humpty Dumpty back together again and installed it at the VFW,
But maybe your reference to “cherry bombs“ was ironic. I forgive you. 😊
Fabulous story ‼️🇺🇸