About
In 1900, the United States Government presented the City of St. Louis with a gift — a Spanish cannon titled Examinador that had most likely been captured during the Spanish-American War. An article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch from April 1901 states that the cannon was not immediately installed due to budget cuts and was being stored in the police stables inside the park. A second article from July 1901 claimed that the Spanish cannon had been forgotten. Writtenin first-person from the point of view of the cannon, the article ridicules parkcommissioner Ridgley for not installing the cannon after more than ayear’s time.
Etchings on the gun in Spanish reveal the word “Examinador” and tell that it was forged in 1783 for King Charles III of Spain. The green copper cannon currently sits near the Confederate Memorial in Forest Park.
Dimensions: 11’5″ x 2′-1′
Year Completed: 1783
Material: Copper
Owner: City of St. Louis
Donor: United States Government
*Photo Courtesy of Forest Park Forever.
