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Battleship Oregon collection, 1897-1993

Overview of the Collection

Title
Battleship Oregon collection
Dates
1897-1993 (inclusive)
Quantity
4.3 cubic feet, (5 document cases, 4 flat boxes, and 1 oversize folder)
Collection Number
Mss 1399
Summary
Collection documenting the battleship USS Oregon, the Battleship Oregon Commission, and the Battleship Oregon Memorial and Museum.
Repository
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Languages
English
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Historical Note

The battleship USS Oregon was the third ship to carry the name of the state of Oregon. The ship was originally classified as Coast Battleship No. 3, authorized in 1890, and built at Union Iron Works, San Francisco. Following the ship's launch on October 26, 1893, it served in major conflicts for the next fifty years, including the Spanish-American War (1898) and Philippine campaign (1899-1900), World War I, and World War II. The vessel was purchased by the state of Oregon for purposes of a memorial in 1925. It was recommissioned for World War II, used as a scrap and ammunition depot, and finally sold for scrap on March 15, 1956.

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Content Description

This collection was compiled by the Oregon Historical Society, and consists of correspondence, reports, scrapbooks, logs, personal papers, photographs and drawings, and mementos of the battleship U.S.S. Oregon, the Battleship Oregon Commission, and the Battleship Oregon Memorial and Museum. Among these are materials concerning the vessel's construction, launch, actions in the Spanish-American War, service as a memorial and museum in Portland, and dismantling following World War II. The materials also include correspondence with the National Auxiliary of the United Spanish War Veterans, the papers of Chester Lincoln Coon (1915-1919), the 1898 diary of Sargent Weed in the Philippines, and an 1898 logbook taken from the Spanish ship Cristobol Colon.

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Use of the Collection

Preferred Citation

Battleship Oregon collection, Mss 1399, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Restrictions on Use

The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in two series:

  • Series 1: General materials
  • Series 2: Battleship Oregon Commission materials

Acquisition Information

Gifts of Chester L. Coon, March 1958 (Lib. Acc. 7662), Mrs. T. H. Turner, February 1970 (Lib. Acc. 11399), Henry H. Cortesi, April 1987 (Lib. Acc. 18197), Arthur McArthur, December 1993 (Lib. Acc. 21557); Lib. Acc. 8992; and other accessions.

Processing Note

Some reorganization of the collection was performed in 2013. Further minor revisions were made to the collection guide in November 2024 to correct some dates and conform to current standard.

Related Materials

Other collections at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library that relate to the Battleship Oregon include plans for the U.S.S. Oregon, Mss 4062; the diary of E.T. Eagling, Mss 2700; logbook of M.A. Davenport, Mss 6012; and the Military collection, Mss 1514.

Separated Materials

Photograph albums acquired with Lib. Acc. 8992 were cataloged as part of the Spanish-American War photographs collection, Org. Lot 254, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Battleships--United States
  • Spanish-American War, 1898--Campaigns--Cuba

Corporate Names

  • Battleship Oregon Commission--Records and correspondence
  • Oregon (Battleship)

Geographical Names

  • Philippines--History--Philippine American War, 1899-1902

Form or Genre Terms

  • correspondence
  • financial records
  • minutes (administrative records)
  • scrapbooks
  • ships' logs

Other Creators

  • Personal Names

    • Coon, Chester Lincoln (creator)

    Corporate Names

    • Battleship Oregon Commission (creator)
    • United Spanish War Veterans. National Auxiliary (creator)

Shawna Gandy
2013; revised 2024

CC0

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