Commodore John Downes (1784-1854) was born in a little house near the corner of Pecunit and Elm Streets. The house is not standing, but there is an historical marker on the site. The marker is close to Elm Street approximately in front of the home of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Pinkham.

Commodore Downes had a glorious career in the young United States Navy, beginning very humbly as a waiter to his father Jesse, who was a purser’s steward on the famous "Constitution" Huntoon’s "History of Canton" recounts the Commodore’s exploits and also includes a very human story which Mr. Huntoon found in an old "Army and Navy Journal". The story gives an indication of the Commodore’s fairness even in a situation when his orders were disobeyed. Huntoon relates: "In 1833 the typhoon of the Northern Pacific was not as well understood as it is now, and that sea was little known to our naval vessels. In that year the ‘Potomac’, commanded by Commodore John Downes, was crossing its waters on a cruise around the world.

Reuben R. Pinkham was her third lieutenant, a thorough sailor; born in a northern whaling port, he had made several voyages to the North Pacific as a whaler, and was comparatively familiar with that region, where the other officers were strangers.

The day was drawing to a close; Pinkham had the watch and the Commodore was walking the deck. The wind had increased to a gale; topgallant sails were handed, topsails reefed, and spanker bailed up when all at once Pinkham gave the order,--

‘Man the weather head-braces. Weather main-brace, weather maintopsail-brace, lee cross-jack braces!’  ‘What is that for, Mr. Pinkham?’ asked the Commodore.  ‘We shall have wind out here in a moment, sir,’ said Pinkham, pointing to the leeward.

‘I see no signs of it, Mr. Pinkham, let the men leave the braces.’

With that a number of the crew dropped the ropes, and Pinkham called out,--

‘Keep hold of those braces. Every man of you!’ when they resumed their grasp.

The Commodore’s face was flushed with anger to find his directions thus disregarded, and he called out in a peremptory tone,--

‘Let the men leave the braces, sir!’

Again the crew dropped the ropes from their hands, when Pinkham, shaking his trumpet at them, exclaimed,--

‘Don’t any of you dare to let go of those ropes!’

At that moment the wind stopped and the sails flapped against the masts. Raising his trumpet to his lips, Pinkham shouted, ‘Haul taut! Haul off all!’ and the ponderous yards swung to reversed direction.

They had hardly done so when the wind came out from the opposite quarter, and struck the ship like a sledge-hammer. She bent before it, but shaking the spray from her bows, dashed forward unharmed.

Commodore Downes said not a word, but rushed to his cabin; and presently the orderly came up to Mr. Pinkham and said the Commodore wished to see him.

Entering the cabin, Pinkham found the Commodore seated by a table.

‘Mr. Pinkham.’ He exclaimed, ‘I consider myself indebted to you for my own life and for the lives of all on board this ship. Had you not hauled the yards just when you did, the ship would have gone down stern foremost. But I tell you frankly that had the wind not come out as you predicted, I would have put you under arrest in two minutes.’