Preserving NU Battery legacy
NUAF awards grant to complete Cannon Project
Trending
The New Ulm Area Foundation (NUAF) met with the New Ulm Battery Monday to present a grant check for $5,000.
New Ulm Battery President, Bruce Olson said for more than a decade the New Ulm Battery has discussed, planned and set money aside with the intent of purchasing an exact replica of our six-pound-bronze-cannon, a White Oak carriage and the necessary equipment needed to fire and maintain the cannon. The Battery refers to the effort as "the Cannon Project".
"By purchasing a replica, the battery would use the cannon as a substitute for our historic bronze cannon in many capacities, especially out-of-town events, taking some of the burden off the original equipment and preserving its structural integrity for New Ulm events and for generations to come," Olson said. "We are not looking to replace the original bronze, but rather, cut back on its use and preserve this important part of New Ulm's history.
Although the Cannon Project has been a long time coming, it was the Battery's goal to purchase the equipment during 2026. With donations from many organizations and individuals, including the New Ulm Area Foundation's $5,000 grant, the equipment has been ordered and we optimistically anticipate delivery by the end of the year.”
The Cannon Project is not the first time the NUAF has given to the New Ulm Battery. NUAF has helped the battery purchase equipment, saddles, and in 2021 a reproduction aluminum carriage for the cannon at the City Hall display. The battery applied for and received grants to help make those purchases possible.
The Cannon Project meets one of the NUAF's pillars of helping preserve history.
Since 1863, the Battery has been a continuous, living, breathing, enduring, physical representation of New Ulm's community's past.
"People can see, touch and learn about our community's history by attending events, talking with members and experiencing the spectacle of a cannons blast," Olson said. "The Cannon Project will help ensure our original equipment, the story of New Ulm, and the legacy of the Battery lives on for generations to come."