I grew up on the East Coast near former Revolutionary and Civil War battlefields, so old cannons were everywhere and not much of a novelty. In their original setting, bristling from a fort or looming over a strategic inlet, they convey an image of strength, but mostly they’re just obsolete iron tubes.

When I first saw the cannon in Arcata, in front of the Veteran’s Hall at 14th and J Streets, I was impressed with its graceful, long, lean lines, and also by the fact that some of the gadgetry for it to aim and fire remained. I wondered where it came from, and why is it here? Asking around, I heard two things from various people: that it was a captured World War II Japanese cannon, and that it had once been hauled up to Humboldt State University by mischievous students. I was curious to know more, and I was also concerned about the deterioration of its wooden spokes and wheel rims due to Humboldt’s wet climate.

I had an old house to restore, another to build, and more projects soon followed, but the gun stayed in the back of my mind. Not that I have any special affinity for cannons, but that particular one seemed worth saving. The steel would never rust away, but if its wheels rotted, much of its historic fabric would disappear. It wasn’t until recently that I had time to think about Humboldt’s largest gun again.

The author presents an artillery shell casing from a cannon of a similar size to the Arcata cannon. Photo: Bob Felter, via the Humboldt Historian

A new visit to the cannon revealed more rot in the wheels than I remembered, and I was determined to soak the wood with preservative. It wasn’t mine, however, and I wanted to get permission from whoever was in charge. In finding this person, I also hoped to learn the gun’s history. I mentioned this to native Humboldter Winnie Trump at a breakfast and she pointed to Al Toste, saying, “There’s the man to talk with.” Al said he’d bring the rot issue up at an American Legion meeting, and that the one person who’d know the history was Marino Sichi. “You should see him soon though — he’s in Timber Ridge Senior Center and his days are numbered.”

That was on a Friday. Sunday afternoon I went to Timber Ridge and asked to see Marino. I explained my presence, and despite some reluctance, the receptionist led me back to the nurse’s station. As tears came to her eyes, the nurse stammered, “Marino passed away this morning.” I think everyone who knew him loved him.

I persisted in my quest and made a call to Alan Baker, the Commander of the VFW/American Legion Hall, and he connected me with Ben Curtis, an active member of the Legion. I explained my concern about the rot and during our conversation it emerged that children loved to climb on the cannon, and that a real tragedy could occur if it were to collapse. Ben brought the issue up at the next American Legion meeting and it was decided they needed to do something. As he said, “We can’t let it go under our watch.”

The Legionnaires jacked the cannon up and placed a welded support underneath; I then got the okay to paint on preservative. Laws have affected what is available in California, and what’s in the stores now has only 9% copper naphthenate, is water based, and colored green. This contrasts with what was on the shelf two years ago, which was solvent based, came in green, brown or clear, and contained three times the amount of the same active ingredient. I didn’t want to use a green color on historic wheels, nor one that would leach out in our winter rains. Coincidentally, while on a job at this time, I came across an old, almost full gallon can of clear “good stuff ” and made a trade with its owner.

Now it was time to learn about the cannon. Linda DeLong, a researcher at the Humboldt County Historical Society, said that she also had once looked into it but found nothing. A stop at Arcata’s library also came up dry, and HSU’s Humboldt Room was closed for the holidays. I next thought about the old Arcata Union: they must have printed at least a mention when the cannon arrived in town. An email to local historian Susie Van Kirk, who is said to know “everything” historical about Arcata, revealed that she’d been through every issue of the Union since 1940, and had never seen anything.

Ben Curtis mentioned another possible source of information, a man named Virgil Freeman, who had left the area. So I made another call to Alan Baker, who provided the phone number of Virgil, who now lives in Fremont. Virgil had been in the VFW Post for decades and was a past Commander of the VFW/ American Legion Hall. Born in 1920, he spent forty months in the Pacific theater during World War II as a code clerk, sending and deciphering communications. He joined the lodge about 1955, when the cannon was already there, but knew some of its history. It’s likely he represented my last chance to learn about the cannon by word of mouth.

Virgil explained that before the war, a small cannon had sat on the Veteran’s Hall lawn. As hostilities overseas grew, the government called for scrap metal and the cannon was sent to the smelter. Much of America’s history met a similar fate. Perhaps the government remembered, or was reminded, of Arcata’s contribution, because after the war, said Virgil, they sent Arcata a replacement. But in an era when P-51 Mustangs and B-17 bombers were being left behind or pushed off the decks of ships as they crossed the ocean, why would an old iron relic such as this have come to the States? Virgil replied that the ships returning home after the war needed ballast. Anything heavy they could find was set down in the holds to keep the ships upright, and that a cannon would do a fine job of that. Arcata’s new cannon arrived in the port of Richmond, and came north on the Northwestern Pacific Railroad at a cost of $17. Virgil thought the bill of lading was somewhere in the VFW Hall. The gun was offloaded in Arcata at the old California Barrel Factory, and towed up to the Hall. Originally, a flagpole was there, and the gun sat to the north of the sidewalk, but it was later moved to the south side to allow for a wheelchair ramp. They set bolts in the slab for tie-downs, but never used them.

A significant clue about the cannon was right on the barrel: four lines of mostly Asian writing above the breech. I wondered whom I could find to translate, then remembered a distant cousin who has a son in Japan. Lee said indeed, his son Matt speaks fluent Japanese, and supplied his email address. I shot off a couple photos of the inscriptions to Matt with a plea for help and a day later I learned more than I ever expected. The top line says it’s a Model 92, 10 cm (4”) cannon. The third line, below the No 136, says it was made by the Osaka Infantry Armory, and the bottom line tells us it was built in 1941. He went on the Internet and found a link to the armory where the gun was built and another link to the gun itself. All is in Japanese, which I can’t read, but the page showed a picture of an identical gun. Matt deciphered, “The series was first built in 1923 but was redesigned several times until its birth as a Model 92 in 1935. It was valued for its portability, but considered a bit lacking in power.”

I had to laugh about “valued for its portability,” thinking back to the rumor of its once having been moved up to the HSU campus. The stories I’d heard were that Jim Ely never admitted to being part of that prank, but that he had returned it. While that sounds suspicious, Jim was the sort of guy who might have brought such a thing back regardless, so who’s to accuse? I considered Jim a friend, but he passed away before I thought to ask about it. A call to his sister, Mary Ann, however, led to a phone number for one of his best friends, Norm Eaton, who now lives in North Carolina.

Norm said that he had never admitted to taking the cannon either. A bit of prodding eventually led to a story. Other than Jim, Norm couldn’t recall who else was involved, nor who had the idea, but one night in 1956 at around 3:00 in the morning, about four guys hitched the cannon up behind Norm’s ’46 Plymouth.

“I didn’t have a trailer hitch or anything,” said Norm, I think we just tied it to the bumper or somewhere with some rope. We had to drive up the old way to Founder’s Hall, and somehow we got it up on the sidewalk below the front doors with it aimed out over the town. Things were pretty quiet in those days, but there were streetlights and we couldn’t believe nobody saw us.

I asked Norm if what he’d revealed could be mentioned publicly. “Yes, go ahead,” he said, “I don’t think they’ll be coming after us, now.” When I forwarded the story to Virgil, he recalled, “Yes, people used to say the gun should be turned a little and aimed toward City Hall.”

Virgil mentioned another story that supposedly took place about 1955. The Sheriff ’s Department had a call from a citizen that a cannon was being towed up Highway 101. Officers finally caught up with the cannon up to the campus and chained it to the vehicle in Orick, and made the culprits bring it back. After those incidents, he said they used a long pipe wrench and locked the brakes tightly, which are probably rusted together by now. Later, a museum in Oregon persistently tried to purchase the cannon, but the Legion wouldn’t let it go.

My original quest to talk to Marino wasn’t in vain. I contacted his daughter, Janet Kelly, to learn if she had come across any information in his estate. I commend her for the time she put into digging through the papers of a man who, I was told, “never threw anything away.” A couple of days later she called back to say she had found some information.

Indeed, Marino had contacted the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco in 1995 and the Vice Consul, Koji Tsuchiya, had replied with information that confirms what I’d learned:

The Model 92 is readily recognized by its long slender barrel and tail (the entire gun is 27’ long, the barrel almost 16’), and it has been designed for long-range fire. Other distinctive features are the pronounced length of the sleigh and the three step interrupted thread breechblock. The recoil system is hydro-pneumatic. Mounted on heavily constructed wooden wheels with solid rubber tires, the weapon is normally tractor drawn but may be drawn by a 5-ton truck. It is capable of firing a high explosive (long pointed shell), chemical or armor piercing projectile. Time fuses are provided for the smoke, incendiary, and chemical shells. Total weight is 3,730 KG (8,206 lbs). In addition to the barrel being able to tilt upward to 45 degrees and downward 5 degrees, it could swing 36 degrees (right or left).

Additionally, the cannon had a range of about 18 km — something like 11 miles: Hello, Humboldt Hill! Greetings, Westhaven! — and the weight of a typical shell was 15.76 kg, or close to 35 lbs.

Arcata’s cannon: a view of the firing gagetry. Photo: Winnie Trump, via the Humboldt Historian.  

The Vice Consul must have contacted a fellow countryman, because a second letter from a Syogo Hattori, History Division, National Institute for Defense Studies, arrived in Marino’s mail several months later from Tokyo. It contained identical information, but added that because “the position of the center of gravity was considered, these cannons were towed by automobiles.” In addition, Mr. Hattori said, “Many type 92 cannons were used by the Japanese Army in WWII, including the Battle of Bataan, Philippines.” He did not know exactly where our serial No 136 was used during the war.

One question still lingered in my mind. Why is the second line on the breech, the “No 136,” in English? Earlier, one bit of false information had sidetracked me into thinking the cannon was actually British, supplied to British-held Singapore, then captured by the Japanese when they invaded China. The last line, the date of manufacture, is in Japanese — why use both systems of numbering? I decided to email Matt in Japan again. He replied,

As for the numbers on the cannon, after the Meiji Restoration in the 1860s, lots of ideas and technology from the West were actively sought out and imported. It was during this time that Arabic numerals made their way here. Even so, they didn’t completely replace kanji (Chinese writing system adapted to Japanese) numbering, which is still used today alongside Arabic numerals.

One facet I did not research is the stenciling in durable red ink on the breech close to the Japanese engraving. I can only guess the Z2 FMAR 198 was put there by our government to identify the artifact as it was requisitioned or entered our country. I felt I’d learned enough, though, and can let that question lie.

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The story above was originally printed in the Winter 2012 issue of the Humboldt Historian, a journal of the Humboldt County Historical Society. It is reprinted here with permission. The Humboldt County Historical Society is a nonprofit organization devoted to archiving, preserving and sharing Humboldt County’s rich history. You can become a member and receive a year’s worth of new issues of The Humboldt Historian at this link.

Our Sweet William, Ellis William Campbell, Jr (Bill), passed away on September 17, 2023. Born in Eureka on January 15, 1940, Bill was the oldest of 4 siblings. Bill spent most of his life in Weott. As a child he attended the one room school house in Weott. He spent hours with his horse and dog hunting in the mountains across from Weott before the freeway was completed. He often spoke of proudly parading through town with his dog and a buck on his horses back. He enjoyed spending summers at his Aunt Florence and Uncle Nick’s house in Hayfork. He was proud to be an Eagle Scout and represent the Weott district.

Bill graduated from South Fork High School in 1958. While attending high school he played basketball and liked studying forestry. In order to be able to play basketball, Bill would start working as a junior in high school and he would continue to work hard for most of his adult life.

Because he worked so hard, Bill was able to buy his GTO in 1964. He would drive his GTO through Myers Flat, eventually catching the eye of his future wife, Patricia Caples. This love affair would last 57 years as Bill and Pat were married a short 6 months later, on March 7, 1965. The first of 3 daughters would be born on March 27, 1966.

Bill worked in the logging industry. He fell timber with both his father and his father in law. He would later run heavy equipment, loading logging trucks and working on the docks in Fields Landing loading the large cargo ships. Bill would later go on to operate large cats, doing restorative work in the National Forest in Orick.

Bill enjoyed the outdoors. He liked to hunt and fish; always taking his family with him. Hunting trips became camping trips where a lot of good memories were made with friends and family. He liked to take his family trout fishing, never complaining about spending the day untangling his daughter’s fishing lines or chasing down the trout that was excitedly caught and ended up in the brush.

Once Bill retired, he and his wife enjoyed traveling throughout the midwest. He would return to Tombstone, Arizona many times as it was one of his favorite places to see. Bill also enjoyed gardening in his retirement years. He enjoyed growing too many tomatoes and sharing them with family and friends.

Bill was a proud father of three daughters. He would often joke that he never had any time in the bathroom but he loved his daughters dearly. He spent time with them and was always there to help in any way that he could.

Bill was blessed with four grandchildren. He created many memories with them and was a solid example of a hard working, patient man. He spent time reading his grandsons the Sunday morning comics and spent nights “camping out” in the back of a pick up truck in the front yard. He would proudly attend their school and sporting events, supporting them and cheering them on. Bill enjoyed swapping timber falling stories with his grandsons and disputing what the best brand of saw is. He would travel many miles to spend time with his granddaughters. He enjoyed attending their extracurricular activities and being able to spend time with them while visiting the Bay Area. He would share stories of his grandkids and he was proud of them.

Bill is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Patricia; daughters Roberta, Carolee and Theresa; granddaughters Brooke and Breanna Fong and grandsons Justin and Reed Lang. He is also survived by his sister in law and very good friend, Christie Liening.

Bill was a kind and gentle soul and he will be dearly missed by his family. A celebration of life will be held at Milligan Hall in Weott on Nov. 11 from 1 p.m.-4 p.m.

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It’s right there in the handbook: candles, barbecues and other such incendiary products are not allowed in the dorms at Cal Poly Humboldt. 

Alas, on Wednesday, a resident of the on-campus College Creek Apartments demonstrated why that rule is in place. They lit a candle that subsequently set their room ablaze. 

Fortunately, the sprinkler system extinguished the fire around 4 p.m., according to News and Information Director Aileen Yoo. One room suffered fire and water damage and two more rooms suffered water damage, displacing a total of 12 students.

A silver lining on the cloud of this year’s unexpectedly slow enrollment growth: There’s plenty of space available, so the dozen students were quickly relocated to new rooms, Yoo told the Outpost via email.

In an odd coincidence, the fire happened on the same day that the Mad River Union‘s Jack Durham reported that the university recently nixed an agreement with the Arcata Fire Department “to provide special services including disaster preparedness, smoke removal, animal rescues, residence hall fire drills, an active shooter training and more.”

The split came after AFD sent the university a $100 invoice for responding to a false fire alarm, though the contract remains active until Nov. 18, according to Durham’s reporting.

AFD still responds to fires on campus, and they responded to this one, but it had already been doused by the building’s sprinkler systems, according to Yoo.

Shirley May Wiese Theobault
April 6, 1936-October 11, 2023

It is with deep sadness that we mourn the loss of Shirley May Wiese Theobault who left this earth on October 11, 2023. We find peace knowing she is singing with the angels, wrapped in the love of the Lord.

For all who knew her, recognized she was an individual like no other. She blessed our lives with her witty charm, passionate outlooks on life, and her all consuming love for her family and their walk with God.

Shirley May was born at home on April 6, 1936 to Lillie May and Jesse J Lewis in Edge, Texas at 8:55 p.m. She was a country girl at heart with city dreams. She was raised picking cotton & milking cows during nights and summers, but she put her foot down when it came to plowing the fields, stubborn as she was.

At the age of 10 she met the man that would become the love of her life, Waldemar “Shorty” Wiese. A tall man in stature with a heart of gold. He was a real life cowboy, riding up on a horse the first time she saw him.

A few years later they began dating before he left to serve in the Korean War. Upon his return they married in Bryan, Texas in December of 1952. In April of 1954 they welcomed their first child, a daughter, Sherrie Lynn. Three months later they moved with her parents and youngest sister Bonnie to join their eldest sister Anita in Eureka, with dreams of bigger opportunities. Following their move they added to their family with two sons, Gary Wayne born in February of 1957, and Jerry Arnold in November of 1958.

Shirley was a spirited woman. Her fiery disposition led her to become a headstrong woman, and the heart of her family. She was an artist, a painter. Her favorite color was pink. She enjoyed sewing and made many quilts, aprons, and table linens for her family. One of her most cherished hobbies was gardening. She would spend countless hours tending to her gardens, and took great care to create a sanctuary for the birds she so endlessly loved. She held a special love for the hummingbirds, they were one of her greatest joys. She loved sharing her time with her family and friends in her gardens amongst all of her flowers.

As the years passed and her family grew, she was blessed with grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She became the gravity that pulled them all together. She treasured the time she spent with her family for the holidays and took great care in showering them with her unending love.

Above all, Shirley loved Christ first and foremost. She was a devout believer in the Lord and wasn’t afraid to speak and share His word. Truly one of a kind. A spitfire of a Godly woman.

In recent years Shirley had repeatedly expressed how much she missed her husband “Shorty” since his passing on October 7, 1989. She was ready to go home to him. In her final moments she rejoiced in knowing she would soon be called home to the Lord and to once again be rejoined with the love of her life. She had peace in her heart. She is home.

Shirley May Wiese Theobault was preceded in death by her parents Jesse and Lillie Lewis of Brazos County, TX, sister Anita Wellesley of Eureka, CA, brother Doyle Lewis of Waco, TX, husband Waldemar “Shorty” Wiese of North Zulch, TX, and survived by her sister Bonnie Hamblock of Eureka, CA, children Sherrie (Ramon) Dominguez of McKinleyville, CA, Gary (Robin) Wiese of Parma, ID, Jerry (Carolyn) Wiese of Meridian, ID, grandchildren Josh (Vanessa) Wiese of Cheney, WA, Alicia (Jake) Cox of McKinleyville, CA, Trisha (Jason) Nauman of Star, ID, Sarah Wiese of Nampa, ID, Briana Dominguez of Arcata, CA, Stephanie Wiese of Elkhorn, NE, Elena Dominguez (Mike Pires) of Fortuna, CA and great grandchildren Josh, Hunter and Cassidy Wiese, Anthony and Byron Nauman, Austin Wiese, and Addison, Ezra, Avery and Jaxson Smith, plus numerous family, friends and loved ones. She will be forever loved, missed and remembered.

Funeral services will be held Friday, October 20 at Sanders Funeral Home at 1835 E Street Eureka, CA 95501, with viewing from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., with the funeral service immediately following. All who knew and loved her are welcome to come and celebrate her life. Following the service, family, friends and loved ones of Shirley, are welcome to join us for refreshments at the Eureka Church of Christ at 1610 I St., Eureka, CA 95501.

And in lieu of flowers, please send any contributions to the Ida Emerson Hospice House at 3327 Timber Fall Ct., Eureka, CA 95503, thank you.

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On September 18, 2023, Loran Parker passed away at St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka with his loving son, sister-in-law and cousins by his side. Loran had been fighting health issues for several years and ultimately succumbed to those health issues.

Loran was born to Jacqueline and Harold ‘Jay’ Parker on November 19, 1956 in Eureka. Loran had five brothers and one sister, also born and raised in Eureka. Loren lived most of his life in Eureka and was married to Janet Porter on March 3, 1978.

Loran was initiated in to the Clampers in 1979, when a chapter was made in Eureka, and will be honored next month at their BBQ. Loran was a truck driver/ mechanic. In the 1980s he drove truck for Arcata Salvage, taking metal to Oakland and dropping it off. Then he started hauled logs here in Eureka for few years for Bear Logging. Then, in 1991, his kids Jackie and James were in a car accident. James broke his back and ended up in a wheelchair, so Loran stayed home and helped him and worked on cars for friends.

In 1999 he got sick was told had six months to live, but fought it for 24 years.

Loran is survived by three brothers and one sister — Donald Parker, Vernon Parker, Guy Parker and sister Linda Bullock-Clowers. He is also survived by one son and one daughter — James Parker (and Kelsey) and Jackie and Brad Raines, and his three grandchildren, Kyle Raines, Matthew Raines and James Raines of new Albany, Mississippi. Loran’s mother- and father-in-law also hailed from Eureka (Delores and Alfred Porter).

Loran’s celebration of life will be announced at a later date.

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Daisy Mar, longtime resident of King City, passed away September 28, 2023 in McKinleyville. Born in 1926 to parents Young and Yip Shee Mar in Monterey, she lived in King City for 80 years. Daisy worked throughout her youth at Mar’s Cafe on Broadway in King City, the family-run business, leaving school at midday to work in the restaurant, helping to manage the lunch rush. After graduating from King City High School she continued to work in the family business until it closed, then worked as a tireless caregiver to her elders, siblings and youngsters over the years. She was a reliable and steady volunteer, including at the Red Cross, March of Dimes, and community events.

Daisy loved to socialize, and her laughter, wit, and charm were endearing to everyone she met. She was friendly, chatty and clever, and loved to tease. She knew everyone “downtown,” including their family members and often their extended family members. She was truly interested in people’s lives and their accomplishments, celebrating with them, and offering encouragement when needed. Many will miss those hours long “chat fests” in person or on the phone with Daisy.

Daisy loved babies and kids, and family was the most important thing in the world to her. She was known for cutting out newspaper articles, comic strips, and magazine recipes and mailing them to family members. Receiving a chubby envelope from her was like opening a gift on Christmas morning. She was an avid gardener and had a bountiful garden, from which she generously shared cutting and starts with her family and friends.

Daisy leaves numerous nieces and nephews and their families, including Valerie Green, also of McKinleyville. She was predeceased by brothers William, Ed, and Davis Mar and sisters Alice M. Mar and Clara Mar Senter.

A celebration of life will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, November 18th, 2023 at Eddington Funeral Services in King City. Donations may be made to the Multiple Sclerosis Society or your favorite charity.

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Fortuna Police Department press release: 

Warning: Fish and Wildlife is advising confirmed mountain lion sighting at the Fortuna Sunrise Cemetery, 3315 Newburg Road in Fortuna.

Fish and Wildlife has requested this information be shared with the public and if there are any questions they can be directed to Ian Keith at the Fish and Wildlife Unit, (707) 445-6493.