The Oregon gun began as a small portion of the overall twinkle in the eye of Captain Robert F. Stockton. Committed to leaving his mark on the U.S. Navy through a project so full of improvements and innovation that once completed would make his name and his endeavors the subjects of conversations in the most exclusive circles and no doubt propel his career. Though Stockton’s mark left on the U.S. Navy didn’t come close to granting him the prestige he sought so vainly for. His reputation later recovered as he led the conquest for the capture of the Mexican territory now known as the state of California.

Robert Stockton had inherited wealth, his father was a former U.S. senator and his grandfather was a signatory of the Declaration of Independence. The amount of political influence wielded by this navy captain was of some concern. However, it was this influence that aided in assisting in the campaign of William Henry Harrison and John Tyler to the presidency and vice presidency respectively. Even more it greatly aided in the support of John Tyler's ascendancy to the presidency when Harrison passed away only a month after taking office. Indebted to Stockton for his support, Tyler offered Stockton the office of Secretary of the Navy. Declining, Stockton instead asked for approval of an as yet unauthorized project to build a new ship of a new design. President Tyler gave his backing to the project and congress eventually gave Stockton the go-ahead.

Stockton's new ship the Princeton was entirely designed by John Ericsson formerly of England, although he was born in Sweden. Stockton had gone to England and recruited the steamship propulsion designer for his project.

Ericsson designed an innovative vessel with improvements in most of the ship's systems most notably fire control, gun power, and steam propulsion. The two large guns in her battery were behemoths. The one named the Oregon gun, Ericsson had made at the finest English foundry out of wrought iron. After some initial proof-firings conducted in America by Ericsson, pressure testing (water under extreme pressures) revealed that small cracks had developed. Ericsson had large hoops made that when heated to expand were installed to fit around the diameter of the gun, as the hoops cooled they contracted lending a tremendous amount of external pressure to the integrity of the barrel sealing the previously discovered leaks. This permitted the proof-firings to resume. After more than one-hundred proof-firings the gun was certified. This gun with it's twelve inch diameter bore could accommodate a fifty pound charge of powder and throw a 225 pound projectile five miles making it the largest naval gun afloat, ever. A second wrought iron gun was commissioned and tested by Stockton himself after growing tired of Ericsson's insistence of being the final word in all aspects of Princeton's construction. Ericsson stressed that the Princeton's design wouldn't allow another gun like the Oregon gun. Stockton committed, moved forward having it made by a New York company. The second gun was twelve inches thicker in diameter (no doubt to help prevent any cracks as on the Oregon gun) this along with the extra metal welded (by hammer blows) to the breach added several tons to the weight of the gun. Stockton's second gun was christened "Peacemaker". This gun's proving was far less extensive than the Oregon's. Stockton towed the gun to sea on a barge and fired it only five times, slightly increasing the powder charge with each shot. He then reported the gun fully proof-tested. Ericsson was skeptical of Stockton's proving and certification of the Peacemaker. He was also concerned that the gun's design was flawed and may be unsafe when fired.

Once launched and commissioned the Princeton was put on show to demonstrate it's capabilities often with high ranking public officials on board. During a highly publicized race against the famed steamer Great Western. Stockton started the Princeton well astern of Great Western where upon she overtook her then circled her and then left to the point that Great Western was no longer visible in her wake. While in Washington D.C. the Princeton went on many excursions hosting the likes of congressmen, senators and officers attached to the Navy Department. These dignitaries were often treated to a firing of the Peacemaker mounted on the foc'sle. Where they reveled at the huge blast and the fact that it fired the largest shot ever fired. On the 17th of February 1844 President Tyler came aboard with some of his cabinet and members of the senate. President Tyler honored Stockton again on the 28th of February. This time there were 150 female guests and 200 male guests. Among the guests were Tyler's fiancée , Miss Julia Gardiner her father (Colonel David Gardiner, a New York state senator ) and her sister. Also on board were Secretary of State Abel P. Upshur, Senator Thomas Hart Benton, newly appointed secretary of the Navy Thomas W. Gilmer and his wife, Ann Elizabeth.

After firing the Peacemaker once secretary Gilmer requested that it fire again to allow some of the guests who didn't have a good vantage for the first firing to view it better. When the gun fired a second time a large red ring of fire exploded from the forward part of the breech and a huge 4000 pound piece of wrought iron parted from the Peacemaker and flew through the air killing members of the viewing party as it went. The large piece as well as other smaller pieces killed a total of eight bystanders. Among those killed were Secretary of State Usher, Thomas Gilmer Secretary of the Navy, Senator Gardiner of New York, Virgil Maxcy U.S. charge d'affaires at The Hague, Commodore Beverly Kennon and I. More, President Tyler's devoted personal servant.

Stockton was absolved of responsibility for the incident and later gained notoriety after playing a key role in the taking of California from Mexico. He then served as provisional governor of the territory of California. Stockton later served in the U.S. Senate from 1851 to 1853 representing the state of New Jersey. The city of Stockton was named for him. An interesting note is that Stockton became good friends with John C. Fremont while Fremont was under him so to speak (although in charge of land forces he took orders from Stockton) during the California campaign and relieved him as provisional governor. Fremont was the son-in-law of senator Thomas Hart Benton of Missouri an attendee to the incident on Princeton.

The Oregon gun, aside from it's certification firings never did fire a shot. It still serves however as the sole reminder (from the Princeton) of this incident and a testament to the importance of naval ordnance proof-testing. It currently rests in the grass triangle adjacent to Worden Field on the grounds of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

A new Naval Policy took form from the incident. That the Naval Bureau of Ordnance and Hydrography would be responsible for the proof-testing of all naval weapons.

John C, Fremont