I grew up going to Cannon Beach in Oregon, named after the cannons that were pulled from a shipwreck on the beach, and near by beaches like Arch Cape. I knew the coast of Oregon is peppered with shipwrecks, many of which have yet to reveal their treasures. But I didn’t realize how close I was to discovering some of them.

In 2008 two cannons were found on Arch Cape by a beachcomber. Their providence has just been identified – they’re British pounders. Probably bought by the US Navy and installed on the USS Shark, which was fated to sink miles north on the Columbia bar.

The Oregonian has more details, but it sounds like there is more to this story. The little boy inside me who played on that beach, dug forts, damned rivers for many summers, fought imaginary pirates, is thrilled to find out.