Laid down on October 18, 1911, at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, CA, USS Langley (CV-1) began its life as the Proteus-class collier USS Jupiter (AC-3). Its keel-laying ceremony was attended by President William H. Taft. Work continued through the winter and the collier was launched on April 14, 1912. The US Navy's first turbo-electric-powered ship, Jupiter joined the fleet in April 1913, under the command of Commander Joseph M. Reeves.
USS Jupiter
Shortly after passing sea trials, Jupiter was sent south to the Mexican coast off Mazatlán. Carrying a detachment of US Marines, the Navy hoped that the ship's presence would aid in calming tensions during the 1914 Veracruz crisis. With the situation diffused, the collier departed for Philadelphia in October, becoming the first ship to transit the Panama Canal from west to east in the process.
