"May 24th; Reached Jupiter inlet about dark and nearly scared every one to death. The whole town took to the hills while the telegraph operator telegraphed to Key West that a Spanish Ship was in the harbor. Sent a boat ashore with dispatches for the department." - The Diary of George W. Robinson
Jupiter, Florida, May 24, 1898 - The United States is at war with Spain. It is a quiet, end-of-season morning at Jupiter Inlet. Most Jupiter residents have seafaring backgrounds and ships are not an unusual sight in the area of the Lighthouse. But not like this one! To say that the town took to the hills is silly. The only "hill" in town is a 46' high mound with a lighted tower planted on it. On the contrary, the best information I can find indicates that the 100 or so people living around Jupiter Inlet were prepared to fight.
"The few people that were here, living near the Jupiter Inlet, were on their usual early beachcombing jaunt and noticed something unusual on the southern horizon....After waiting for a while Captain Carlin recognized it as being a large battleship. Because the Captain had never seen an American warship painted gray, as this one was, and the U.S. was at war with Spain, he could not be sure of its nationality." - Carlin White, "History of the Carlin House"
The unknown ship that materializes in the evening haze off the Jupiter inlet hasn't been heard from in days and is on one of the more amazing trips in naval history. Where is it from and why, of all places, is it here in Jupiter? Based on research so far, I have a guess why the battleship is in Jupiter rather than Miami or Key West (each of which is closer to the intended destination of Cuba).
When I started research for the Jupiter History Web, this story was completely unknown to me. On the surface, it seems only slightly tied to Jupiter's history -- the mystery ship was only here for a very short time. The more I read, the more I realized that the long journey of the U.S.S. Oregon presents a snapshot in time about our town and nation before the turn of the last century. Consider this fascinating fact from one of Carlin White's books:
"It is important to note that long-range maritime ships carried a document on board their vessels which gave a listing of, among other things, the capabilities of ports which they might enter or pass near. Information as to whether these ports were large or small, what was available in the way of supplies, communications capabilities...and much more useful nautical information ...Therefore, it was not uncommon for some late-running, behind-schedule ships to anchor offshore and row a small boat to the Jupiter telegraph station. There they would contact their owners, give their whereabouts, or get instructions." - Carlin White, "History of the Jupiter Wireless Telegraph Station"
On arrival in Jupiter, the Oregon had just completed a 1,600 mile leg of a 14,700 mile journey. It had been "missing" for some time and enemy ships were trying to stalk it or lay in wait due to the intense media coverage of the amazing journey.
I believe Jupiter was chosen precisely because it was NOT Key West or Miami. Those cities had ports. Jupiter did not. There would not likely be any enemy ships docked here. What Jupiter did have was the Lighthouse to aid navigation and telegraph communications to the Washington and to the Bahamas (an overseas telegraph cable from the Bahamas came right into the Inlet). The U.S.S. Oregon was traveling alone, having left behind potential escorts because they could not keep up with the speed of the new battleship. There seemed little chance that the powerful ship could get trapped at Jupiter because ships could not dock here. Yet Jupiter afforded the communications center that the ship needed to report in to command and receive orders for battle.
On May 24, 1898, the OREGON steamed into Jupiter Inlet, Florida. She had completed her fourteen thousand mile dash in sixty-six days, a remarkable achievement! The voyage was considered to be "unprecedented in battleship history," and a "triumph of American technology and seamanship..." Even more amazing was that OREGON and her crew were ready for battle without any major repairs. She had earned her nickname of "McKinley's Bulldog." - Patrick McSherry, Voyage of the U.S.S. Oregon
Town Hall... 
