Judging by the date, this must be a civil war cannon. Referred to as a 3 " ordinance rifle, the gun has a rifled barrel and what appears to be a ball stuck well down the barrel. The oak carriage for the cannon was made in 2010 by
Anvil Wagon Works of Livingston. The cannon itself appears to ba iron.
The cannon stood for nearly 90 years on the lawn of the Park County Courthouse. It was removed to the museum for restoration of the carriage around 2010, the intent being that it be returned to the courthouse for display. However, it remains here, possibly forever.
The face of the muzzle is inscribed as follows:
C.C.C. No 501 P.I. Co. 1862 816 lbs.
Possibly someone could decipher the "C.C.C. No 501 P.I. Co." section of the inscription so we could know more of its history.
Built in 1907 of concrete block simulating rusticated stone, the four room Northside School replaced several smaller wood framed schools scattered about Livingston's north side. Serving as an elementary school until 1971, the building was purchased by the Park County Museum Association in 1976, the Park County Museum opening in the building the next year. Today it is known as the
Yellowstone Gateway Museum.
Today made easy to find with a dingy red wooden Northern Pacific caboose on the front lawn, the building is filled with artefacts relating to the early days of Livingston. Behind the building is a fenced yard and another building in which are displayed fire trucks, agricultural equipment, wagons, various machines and other large historic items, including a blacksmith shop, donated and moved to the museum in July, 1997.
Yellowstone Gateway Museum
Discover the history of Park County and its connection to Yellowstone!
As a crossroads of culture, Park County, Montana has served as temporary or permanent home for many: native peoples from as long as 11,000 years ago, fur trappers and explorers, homesteaders, and today's residents. Livingston became a major entrance to Yellowstone National Park in 1883 when the Burlington Northern Railway arrived and established a spur line south toward the park.
The museum is housed in a three-story 1906 schoolhouse that is on the National Register of Historic Places. Four large exhibit rooms: Native Cultures, Expeditions, Pioneer, and Transportation, and courtyard also interpret archaeology, modern-day flint knapping, Lewis and Clark, Yellowstone National Park (including historic vehicles), railroad, veterans' history, women, and more. Museum Explorer's Journal guides families through the museum; new children's exhibits.
From Visit Montana