MARTINS FERRY Mayor John Davies poses with one of the free bikes available at the city building. Photo/SHELLEY HANSON

MARTINS FERRY — The city of Martins Ferry still has a few unclaimed bikes to give away that are stashed in the city building’s basement.

There are about 10child-sized bikes remaining with one adult-sized bike as well.

Mayor John Davies explained the bike situation previously on his Facebook page.

“We have some bikes that the police department has collected over a few years that we are going to repair and give away to our youth in town,” he said.

“If you’re in need of a bike please call 740-633-2121 and let them know and we will do our best to get you one.”

Some of the bikes have been found abandoned while others were likely turned into the city by people who could not find their correct owners.

Clearing out the build-up of bikes will help the city also clean and organize its basement area.

One item being stored in this same basement is a Civil War-era cannon that was given to the city decades ago. It does not have a chassis, but Davies said the city may build a concrete base for it to sit on.

This will allow officials to display the large cannon somewhere within the city, such as at the park.

The city is already home to another cannon that is displayed at Walnut Grove Cemetery.

In 2018, Mason Kyer of St. Clairsville completed his Eagle Scout project to refurbish a Civil War cannon already on display at the cemetery.

He raised about $20,000 to replace the chassis on the cannon as part of his Eagle Scout project.

The carriage was made and installed by Steen Cannon and Ordnance Works of Ashland, Kentucky.

Before his endeavor, the cannon was refurbished last in 1986 by the Ohio Valley Civil War Roundtable. The new carriage is made of aluminum instead of wood, which was falling apart.

Walnut Grove Cemetery, at 420 N. Fifth St., Martins Ferry, dates back to 1795.

There are 20 Civil War soldiers buried there.

The 12-pound Napoleon artillery piece that Kyer refurbished was with Gen. Braxton Bragg’s forces at the battle of Lookout Mountain near Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Kyer’s father, Curtis, previously said they had not been able to find much information about when exactly the cannon came into Martins Ferry’s possession.

However, he believed it may have been given to the city sometime during the 1880s.

He said the war department gave out cannons and other artillery as memorials at that time.