126 Years Ago: Cannon That Gave Two Oregon Coast Towns Their Names Was Pulled from Surf

Published 01/30/26 at 3:55 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Cannon Beach, Oregon) – Yesterday (Thursday), the Cannon Beach History Museum made note of a special moment in north Oregon coast history. January 29 was the 126th anniversary of when the famed cannon and some other parts discovered in Arch Cape were pulled out of the surf by a team of horses. These were from the USS Shark, which had wrecked near Astoria some 50 years before – and this was the very cannon that gave Cannon Beach its name. (Photo courtesy Cannon Beach History Museum)

However, there's a strange and even confusing twist to this story. At the time, Arch Cape was called Cannon Beach – and the town to the north didn't really exist quite yet, back in 1900. When and How Cannon Beach Was Named - Oregon Coast History with a Twist

The saga began on September 10, 1846, when the USS Shark wrecked while attempting to exit the Columbia River. A section of the vessel’s decking, carrying three small carronades, drifted ashore north of Arch Cape. Midshipman T.J. Simes, aided by members of a local tribe, located the wreckage and managed to remove one cannon. Changing tides quickly reclaimed both the gun and the decking, launching decades of rumor and sporadic sightings.

In December 1863, mail carrier John Hobson reported seeing a cannon lodged in Arch Cape Creek - also known historically as Shark Creek (because of the ship) - but shifting sands buried it once again. Occasional reports of cannon sightings continued for years.

Photo courtesy Cannon Beach History Museum

The area received its modern name in 1891, when settler James P. Austin established the first post office at Arch Cape and christened the community “Cannon Beach.” Austin believed the missing cannon lay somewhere in the nearby creek bed and spent considerable time and money searching for it. He died in 1894 without success, and just a few years before they would actually be discovered.

The breakthrough finally came in 1898. Mail carrier George Luce spotted the cannon in the creek and alerted Austin's widow. Neighbors John and Mary Gerittse provided a team of horses to pull the heavy artifact from the surf. Mrs. Austin placed the recovered cannon in front of the post office as a tribute to her husband's long quest.

However, two cannon from the ship were still missing. These too had purportedly been seen over the decades, but time took a toll on this legend and the hope ever seeing them again largely disappeared.

The cannon found in 2008 still covered in concretion, on display in Nehalem (Oregon Coast Beach Connection)

Until the '80s, the one big cannon made the rounds in the area, moving from place to place. The cannon had been vandalized a few times and other surrounding artifacts stolen. It was moved to a museum in Astoria, then to the Cannon Beach History Museum around 2000. It remains there even now.

In 2008, sand levels across the Oregon coast hit new, even record lows. As a Lake Oswego family hit the sands of Arch Cape looking for other oddities that were publicized then (red towers), they stumbled upon something they did not quite understand. However, the teen girl – Miranda Petrone – recognized the shapes as being from a cannon. Historic Oregon Coast Finds Get Attention from PBS Detectives

Photo courtesy Cannon Beach History Museum

The find caused a statewide sensation and even in other parts of the world. The last part of the USS Shark puzzle had been found. It took a few years to absolutely confirm, but it's about 95 percent certain they come from that ship.

Read more about what happened with Cannon Beach becoming Arch Cape and how the town we know got its name. When and How Cannon Beach Was Named - Oregon Coast History with a Twist

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