Cannon chopped into pieces, believed to have ties to President Roosevelt
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A convicted felon was arrested, accused of stealing a Spanish-American War Cannon from Wichita's Riverside Park.
A representative with the City of Wichita said the cannon was recovered and chopped into pieces, but the city's park and recreation department has yet to lay eyes on the cannon.
The Wichita Police Department is withholding the pieces of the cannon as evidence until the case is presented to the district attorney.
KSN's Derek Lytle spoke to a local historian, who said the cannon is irreplaceable.
A piece of world history, a hidden gem in Wichita's backyard.
'It's almost unbelievable Wichita had it. 'That's the kind of thing you can't replace,' said Friends University History Professor Ken Spurgeon.
Spurgeon, a historian and filmmaker for 30 years, said a veteran from Wichita may have served with President Theodore Roosevelt when the cannon was apprehended.
He believes that's why it could have been awarded to the city.
'It would've been captured by the first US volunteer cavalry under the command of Theodore Roosevelt, on July First, 1898, at the battle of San Juan Hill, so this is captured cannon, made in Spain, makes it extremely rare,' said Spurgeon.
The county historical museum said the cannon's rarity is the reason it was hidden in park buildings in 1942, so it was not sent with the city's three others to be turned into modern guns to aid the WWII effort.
'It's one of a kind in many ways, it's priceless, it's also become a part of our community,' said Spurgeon.
Spurgeon, taken aback by the news of its damage, knows the city may lose a gem.
'Speaks to the rarity of it, Derek, between you and me, that may be the only one surviving today, or maybe there's 20, but if we find out, that's the only one, and it got destroyed in the last 24 hours, that's sickening,' said Spurgeon.
Spurgeon shares, this story has sparked his interest to drive deeper into this cannon's history.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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