USS Essex, 1931 #
The USS
The USS Essex, a naval vessel, was built in 1874 at Kittery, Massachusetts, by the Kittery & Naval Yard. Designed as an auxiliary bark sunboat, it had a wooden hull constructed under the supervision of master carpenter Donald McKay. With a length of 185 feet, a beam of 35 feet, and a depth of 14 feet 3 inches, the Essex had a gross tonnage of 615.
Powered by a triple expansion screw propulsion system, the ship featured a 20″, 32 1/2″, 53″ x 36″ engine manufactured by Atlantic Engine Works, providing 1200 horsepower. It was also equipped with a water tube boiler built by Babcock & Wilcox. The Essex had a notable history of service, including various commissions and deployments. It cruised to Liberia and the West Coast of Africa in 1877, served on the Pacific Station in 1881, and was deployed to the Asiatic Station in 1883.
After being decommissioned in 1889, the Essex returned to service as a training ship in 1893. From 1904 to 1916, it was loaned to the Ohio Naval Militia and stationed in Toledo. In 1917, the ship began serving in the Ninth Naval District in Duluth, Minnesota, where it underwent rebuilding in the early 1920s. During this period, the Essex was utilized as barracks and had its machinery removed.
In October 1927, the Essex was loaned to the Minnesota Naval Reserve, but just a few days later, on October 27, it was removed from the Naval register. On December 23, 1930, the ship was sold and dismantled at Duluth, with its hull eventually beached. The final fate of the Essex came on October 14, 1931, when it was burned for its scrap metal. This marked the end of the oldest steam-powered vessel on the Navy list.
The wreck of the USS Essex holds historical significance as the last remaining known example of a vessel built by renowned shipbuilder Donald McKay. It served the U.S. Navy faithfully for nearly three decades before its retirement and subsequent disposal. While its physical form may have been lost to the flames, the legacy of the USS Essex lives on as a testament to the maritime history of the United States.
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