City considers alternate locations for Civil War cannons

By Brent Killackey

Thursday, July 12, 2007 11:38 PM CDT

Journal Times

RACINE -

Calls to return two Civil War cannons to Monument Square face some competition.

A variety of alternate locations have emerged in recent weeks, and the city's parks board deferred action on the cannons this week to study places other than Monument Square to house the guns.

Some of the alternatives, which will be weighed by the park board in August, include:

n

In front of Memorial Hall.

n

At Kids Cove Playground at North Beach.

n

By the Mary Todd Lincoln statue near Gateway Technical College.

n

In Roosevelt Park, a Civil War artillery training ground and a location tied to Col. William Utley, who played a role in helping a slave in Kentucky escape to freedom in Racine. A marker honoring Utley is being contemplated as the permanent resting place of the cannons.

n

Mound Cemetery, where Utley is buried.

n

In front of a planned Downtown veterans' museum.

Alderman Aron Wisneski, who represents the 12th District, said he's undecided on what to do with the cannons, but he's interested in seeing the possibilities.

"I don't see anything wrong with putting them on Monument Square, but we also have a couple of other excellent ideas," Wisneski said.

One of those ideas - Roosevelt Park - was brought forward by Alderman Bob Anderson. Anderson said a constituent raised the idea based on historical research on the Civil War artillery training grounds - Camp Utley - and Utley's efforts to help the escaping slave.

Anderson said he's leaning toward Roosevelt Park for the cannons, but is open to other placements as long as the cannons remain visible to the public and serve an educational function.

The cannons were removed from Monument Square two years ago as part of the square's reconstruction. Plans, which were presented to the public, did not include their return. Instead, the area around the monument remains open.

Anderson said Monument Square was a sentimental favorite for the cannons' placement, but it wasn't the most logical based on the square's new design.

A request earlier this year by Kenosha officials to borrow the cannons for a planned Civil War museum sparked an outcry among some Racine residents and triggered the current efforts to keep the cannons in Racine and find an appropriate spot to display them.

Special Offer: Get 5 Weeks of the Journal Times for $7!