USS Oregon

Accession number:
2003.02

Maker:
Antonio Jacobsen

Historical period:
1899

Miltary branch:

Wars and Conflicts:
, ,

Type:

Dimensions:
H x W: 22 in. / 32 in.

Acquisition date:
ca. 2003

Credit line:
The Army and Navy Club Library Trust Fund

Location:
, ,

Provenance:
N/A

Label:

USS Oregon (BB-3) was a pre-dreadnought Indiana-class battleship of the U.S. Navy, commissioned on July 15, 1896. She served in the Spanish–American War, the Philippine–American War, the Boxer Rebellion, and the Siberian Intervention.

In 1898, Oregon was ordered on a voyage around South America to the East Coast in preparation for war with Spain. She reached Jupiter Inlet in 66 days, covering 14,000 nautical miles—a remarkable achievement at the time. The journey captured the imagination of the American public and underscored the need for a shorter route between oceans, helping to spur construction of the Panama Canal.

Later that year, she took part in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba, where she and the cruiser Brooklyn were the only ships fast enough to chase down the Spanish cruiser Cristóbal Colón, forcing its surrender. Her prominent bow wave and determination through demanding missions earned her the nickname “Bulldog of the Navy.”