Sherman to move cannons Park will be home for Civil War relics

SHERMAN – Although the Civil War ended more than a century ago, a pair of cannons that once blazed during the war are on the move.

Voters in Sherman decided at their annual town meeting on Monday evening to relocate the two cannons, which now are located in one of the town’s cemeteries, to a more visible location in the park in the center of town.

Town Manager Deb O’Roak said Tuesday that the decision was made by 50 people who showed up to take part in the yearly gathering.

She was not sure when the move would take place.

O’Roak said recently that she believed the cannons were given to the town in 1883. During the war, O’Roak explained, Sherman was considered a “banner town” because of the high percentage of soldiers that lived there. More than one-half of the population at the time was involved in the Civil War.

The guns eventually were placed in the cemetery, but some residents believed the artifacts would get more exposure if they were placed in the park.

In other business, voters also approved a $254,321 budget, a figure that does not include school or county taxes.

The budget was up slightly since last year, O’Roak acknowledged, mainly because of increases in solid waste contracts and fuel.

Having faced no opposition, incumbent Ricky Long held on to a seat on the Board of Selectmen. Kathy McNally upset incumbent Lois Eash for a three-year seat on the SAD 25 board, and incumbent Jane Marie McNally defeated Philip Knowles for a one-year term on the panel.