Historic Hood River
Battleship at Alber’s Mill
3-27-2026
Notes
This is a nice image of a battleship docked on the Willamette River in Portland. We can date it relatively precisely. The Albers Mill Building behind it was completed in 1911. The freighter “Nebraskan” on the far shore was renamed in 1916 and sunk by U Boats in 1917.
We have a couple of images of this battleship. Perhaps a Hood River resident served on the ship. While I can’t make out a name, it appears to be the USS Oregon. The Oregon visited Portland in 1912. Images from that visit show the same unusual aft tower (perhaps for training?).
JEC
Could this be the USS Oregon?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Oregon_(BB-3)#/media/File:USS_Oregon_(19-LCM-16394).jpg
Thorn
That’s the right one JEC (tho the link didn’t work for me).
Legendary ship. Record setting, history changing, and mast still standing. Landed the final blows of Spanish-American War, re-used in both World Wars. A Portland monument–twice. She even rode a typhoon on a 500 nautical mile ghost ship adventure.
I’m guessing that weird tower is for radio or some kind of signaling.
L.E.
Thanks for the interesting information JEC and Thorn.
And thanks Arthur for the detective work in dating the photo.
As Thorn says, “mast still standing.” Evidently there is a monument at Portland’s Waterfront Park made from the mast.
L.E.
A history of the U.S.S. Oregon
https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/u_s_s_oregon/