Blast from the Past: Wichita’s Riverside Cannon Uncovered

You might have noticed the cannon sitting in Riverside Park. You probably walked right past it without giving it much attention. That’s understandable—you don’t remember a time when it wasn’t there, so it blends into the background.

However, in its early days, it was beloved by the people of Wichita.

The cannon, weighing about 800 pounds, was created in Seville, Spain, in 1794. It was forged for the King of Spain, and his seal is still visible in the hand-carved filigree on its muzzle. The cannon was originally made to showcase wealth. It was later captured by American soldiers on San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American War.

The five-month Spanish-American War in 1898 started partly due to Cuba’s fight for independence. American leaders wanted Spain to give up control of all its overseas territories, including Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and Guam.

Interesting side note: Kansan Frederick Funston, who became a national hero, ended the Philippine insurrection that followed the war. At 34, he received the Congressional Medal of Honor and was named brigadier general, becoming the youngest general in the U.S. Army in 1899.

In August 1899, The Saturday Evening Kansas Commoner announced that, after considerable effort, Mayor Finlay Ross had received notice from the War Department that one of the captured Spanish cannons would soon be sent to Wichita.

In February 1900, the Eagle reported that Wichita would indeed get its Spanish cannon. Apparently, there was high demand for these cannons, and Mayor Ross feared Wichita would miss out. To ensure his city received one, he started a writing campaign.

The cannon arrived in mid-September 1900. The Eagle noted, “There are many marks on it with any number of initials, which at the time they were placed on the gun had some significance which has long ago passed.”

The cannon came with two conditions: it could be recalled at any time by request of the War Department, and the city had to pay for the shipping.

It was finally installed in January 1901. Mayor Ross said, “It will be one of the most interesting adornments for the park.”

In 1942, the cannon faced an uncertain future when the government requested that all metal cannons and metal parts in parks be donated to the war effort. Wichita had four cannons in Riverside Park: three Civil War cannons and a large one near Park Villa, plus two smaller ones that were hauled away to Ft. Leavenworth.

In November 1942, The Beacon reported, “Relics of the Civil War in Riverside Park will have another chance to serve the country when the city turns them over to the U.S. government to be turned into much-needed modern guns.”

The Spanish cannon was spared after an appeal by the Park Department and the Spanish War veterans of Wichita. The cannon spent the war hidden in one of the park buildings.

After the war, it was rededicated during a ceremony that included entertainment from the Wichita High School East Band.

The cannon was the centerpiece of many picnics honoring the city’s soldiers.

In 1965, The Beacon reported that the cannon was stored at the city’s yard near Seneca and Central. Robert Lester, Superintendent of Park Maintenance, said, “It seems like about every five or six years somebody wants to upset the thing. It’s happened two or three times before.” The most recent incident had occurred a week prior. Though the cannon was not broken, it needed to be remounted by a stone mason in the spring.”

In May 2006, The Eagle asked its readers to “Pitch in to protect our memorials.” The story featured Phil Blake, the “unofficial caretaker of Wichita’s veterans memorials,” who was concerned about the cannon, saying the “memorial has very few battles left in it. The stone base has cracked from almost 100 years of freezing and thawing.”

A year and a half later, Blake oversaw the restoration of the cannon, telling The Eagle that it shows the scars of battle. “You can look at the finish of the cannon and see scratches embedded in it coming from the front to the rear; it was facing right into the enemy’s line of fire.” Repairs were made using federal grants.

Few of these cannons still survive. Blake remarked, “A cannon of this antiquity and beauty, the price is almost incalculable.”

Today, alongside “The Hiker,” the cannon forms Wichita’s Spanish-American War Memorial.

The cannon was stolen in 2025. Police were able to find the cannon and the suspect. The suspect did more than 300-thousand dollars in damage to the cannon.

To learn more stories about Wichita’s Riverside Park, check out Mini-Series: Riverside Park