Three ships of the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 have been named Conestoga after the Conestoga wagon

Conestoga wagon

The Conestoga wagon is a heavy, broad-wheeled covered wagon that was used extensively during the late 18th century and the 19th century in the United States and sometimes in Canada as well. It was large enough to transport loads up to 8 tons , and was drawn by horses, mules or oxen...

, a broad wheeled, covered, wagon first built in Conestoga, Pennsylvania

Conestoga, Pennsylvania

Conestoga, Pennsylvania is a small community in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in the United States.Conestoga was first called Conestoga Manor by William Penn. The name came from the Conestoga Indians, a peaceful Christian tribe, whose principal village was located nearby...

.
, a side-wheeled steamer

Steamboat

A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...

, was purchased in June 1861. She served on the Mississippi River

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

 and its tributaries during the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

. On the night of 8 March 1864 Conestoga collided with and sank immediately.

• USS Conestoga was the planned name for the monitor and the name was changed while the ship was still on the stocks. She served in the American Civil War and later served in the Spanish-American War
  Spanish-American War
  The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
  
   as Jason.

, commissioned 10 November 1917. Assigned to the Submarine

Submarine

A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...

 Force, Conestoga carried out towing duties throughout World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

. She was declared lost-at-sea 30 June 1921.