Battle for 1880 gatling gun continues between Plymouth Improvement Association, Fairbury City Museum

FAIRBURY - The battle for the Fairbury city museum’s 1880 gatling gun continues.

Two weeks ago, Fred Meyer of the Plymouth Improvement Association went before the Fairbury city council, suggesting that they allow the gun to be moved from the city museum to the Jefferson County Courthouse with the hope of more people seeing it.

""It can be viewed by the public up to eight hours a day, five days a week," Meyer stated on Aug. 6. "It would be insured and have a security camera on it. It would be in a tempered glass case with a wooden frame."

While the courthouse is open 8 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1-5 p.m. on weekdays, the city museum is open 1-4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

The gun has been on display at the Fairbury City Museum since 1960. The museum's president, Mick Suey, believes it should stay there.

"I know one of their points is, more people would see (the gun) at the courthouse," Suey said. "Which, more people may visit the courthouse weekly, monthly and yearly, but they're not going there to look at a gatling gun. They're going there to pay their taxes or get their drivers' licenses."

The gatling gun was a gift from the Navy to the village of Plymouth in 1916. It was part of a war memorial to honor fallen soldiers in the Union army.

In 1960, the gun was moved to Fairbury on loan from the Plymouth village board to the Jefferson County Historical Society. Two years later, paperwork was signed by the village board to make the loan permanent.

The city council has yet to take action on this matter.