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11 unusual facts about USS Monitor


Breastwork monitor

The term "monitor" was directly derived from the American ship of that name, the USS Monitor designed by John Ericsson which served in the American Civil War.

Civil War Campaign Medal

The Army Civil War Campaign Medal displayed an engraved image of Abraham Lincoln while the Navy and Marine Corps versions depicted the USS Monitor and CSS Virginia's battle at Hampton Roads.

Erastus Corning

The United States Navy contracted with Corning's iron works to manufacture parts and materials for the USS Monitor, the Navy's first ironclad warship.

Hearts in Bondage

The film shows that, during the war, the Union built its own ironclad, the USS Monitor.

Ironton, Ohio

England, France, and Russia all purchased iron for warships from here due to the quality; iron produced in Ironton and surrounding areas was used for the USS Monitor, the United States' first ironclad ship.

Monitor National Marine Sanctuary

Monitor National Marine Sanctuary is the site of the wreck of the USS Monitor, one of the most famous shipwrecks in U.S. history.

Nahum Stetson

The list of ships with parts made at Bridgewater include the USS Monitor, the USS New Ironsides and much of the fleet of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company.

Passaic-class monitor

Naval architect and engineer John Ericsson designed the Passaic-class warships, drawing upon lessons learned from the first USS Monitor, which he also designed.

Turret ship

The USS Monitor, built in 1862, is famous for being the first ship mounted with a turret.

Utah State Route 313

While traversing the canyon there are several view areas along the highway overlooking both Sevenmile canyon, Dead Horse Point, and two rock formations called the Monitor and the Merrimack, both named after warships in the American Civil War.

Warwick Furnace Farms

The furnace operated through the 1860s and supplied the iron used in the iron-clad ship the USS Monitor during the Civil War.


Bridgewater Iron Works

By 1860, at the dawn of the Civil War, the Bridgewater Iron Company was one of the largest in the country, specializing in heavy castings and forgings, including key parts for the United States Navy, including the famous USS Monitor and the USS New Ironsides iron-clad warships, and the Pacific Mail Steamship Company.

Jamestown Exposition

Possibly the most popular attraction was a re-creation of the Battle of Hampton Roads, the first battle between two ironclad warships, the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia, which had taken place within sight of Sewell's Point 40 years earlier during the Civil War.

John F. Winslow

Starting in 1861, Winslow and his business partner John Griswold worked with John Ericsson to build the USS Monitor.