Robbie Collins' Cannon Ball

HISTORICAL SOCIETY CANNON BALL GOES OUT WITH A BANG

The Southern Oregon Historical Society turned over a cannon ball to the Counter Terrorism Section of the Oregon Department of State Police, which was detonated by their bomb squad.

Four years ago, Robbie Collins family loaned the entire contents of Mr. Collins’ study to the historical society for the purpose of creating an exhibit about his work making Jacksonville a National Heritage District.  Since closing the Jacksonville Museum, SOHS staff determined it would not be feasible to display the materials anywhere and so contacted the family for their return.

Amongst the collection, which included furniture and many objects that Mr. Collins collected on his trips throughout the world, was a cannon ball.  When SOHS curator Tina Reuwsaat saw the cannon ball, she advised that it be turned over to the local bomb squad.

The bomb squad, which is a division of the Oregon Department of State Police, used the detonation of the cannon ball as a training exercise.  They approached the cannon ball as it were live but were extremely surprised when it “went off like the Civil War,” said Detective Blain W. Allen, who is also a bomb technician.

Detective Allen is guessing that the bomb was brought here during the Rogue Indian Wars.  “Every year, two or three people get killed handling old cannon balls,” said Mr. Allen.

Barbara Heyerman, a relative of Mr. Collins, said she remembers lots of people handling the cannon ball when they visited Robbie.  “It sat in his study for years.  Visitors were always picking it up.”