CORONADO.

“My Own Town”

By ELWIN HUNT

While excavating for a new building on the Dr. Strodtman property near the Chestnut Shop—in the 200 block on West Chestnut Avenue—workmen discovered a cannon ball. It is about 4-1/2 inches in diameter and weighs approximately seven pounds, was five feet below the surface of the earth, and thickly covered with rust. About a year ago we had a “minnie ball” fired from a small cannon, which was plowed up near the Walnut River and believed to have been fired by United States soldiers who fought a battle with Indians somewhere near the year 1858. The soldiers had been sent as escort to early day explorers or surveyors. We gave the “minnie ball” to Dr. R. C. Young, and it is now embedded with many other relics in the wall of his wigwam.

It is not unlikely that the cannon ball was fired or lost by Coronado and his band, who came up this way looking for gold. We once had a Roman coin which was believed to have belonged to a member of this band. Coronado may have ferried over the Walnut or Arkansas and spent a day or so exploring the sandhill that formed the tip of the peninsula where we now abide. He might have fired off one of the cannons he was known to carry or the ball may have been lost by one of his men. At any rate it is a most interesting relic. T. P. Alford now has the cannon ball at his home.