Pre-World War I Colorado sailed on her
shakedown cruise down the east coast to Target Bay,
Culebra Island, Puerto Rico, to train in Caribbean waters, reaching Culebra, on 24 March 1905. Following the shakedown, she joined Division Four, Cruiser Squadron,
Atlantic Fleet, at
Provincetown, Massachusetts, on 14 May.
Colorado took part in the preliminary test of , a steel
floating dry dock near
Solomons Island, Maryland, from 23 to 24 June 1905.
Colorado participated in a fleet problem in the Caribbean, from 10 January–17 April 1906. Captain Kennedy died while the armored cruiser maneuvered at sea. He was buried ashore at
Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and
Lieutenant Commander Joseph L. Jayne, assumed command of the ship on 12 April 1906. President
Roosevelt held a Presidential
Naval Review of a number of ships including
Colorado, , , , and transport at
Oyster Bay, New York, from 2–4 September 1906.
Colorado then sailed for duty on the
Asiatic Station, on 7 September 1906. After cruising to
Japan and
China to represent American interests in the
Far East, she returned to
San Francisco, on 27 September 1907, for exercises along the
Californian and
Mexican coasts, in the
Hawaiian Islands, and off Central and South America. The running aground of
Colorado on 15 August 1908, lead to the upgrading and improvements of lighthouses in
Puget Sound. On 26 August 1909, one of her launches had a minor collision with the ferry
City of Seattle, between
West Seattle and
Seattle, with minor damage. She served again in the Far East, from September 1909 – February 1910. Ceremonial visits and receptions for dignitaries highlighted the next two years, and from November 1911 – July 1912,
Colorado returned to the Far East for duty. Between August and November, she sailed to land and support expeditionary troops at
Corinto,
Nicaragua, then patrolled Mexican waters until placed in reduced commission at
Puget Sound Navy Yard on 17 May 1913. Once more in full commission on 9 February 1915, she sailed as the
flagship of the
Pacific Reserve Fleet, patrolling in Mexican waters and observing and keeping in touch with interned merchant ships during the
revolution. She returned to reserve status on 26 September 1915.
World War I She was renamed
Pueblo, in order to free up her original name for use with the , on 9 November 1916, while in overhaul. After
Submarine ran aground in
Humboldt Bay, California, on 14 December 1916. sailed for
Eureka, to assist in salvaging the boat on 5 January 1917. While she attempted to float the submarine on 13 January, the cruiser stranded in the first line of breakers at Samoa Beach, off Eureka. Her crewmen reached shore safely.
Pueblo made for the area and stood by
Milwaukee on 24 January, but attempts to salvage the stricken cruiser proved unsuccessful.
Milwaukee was decommissioned on 6 March 1917, and a storm in November 1918, broke the ship in two.
Pueblo returned to full commission upon the entry of the United States into
World War I, and as flagship of the
Scouting Force patrolled the
South Atlantic, protecting shipping, paying diplomatic calls to South American ports, and preventing the sailing of German and
Austrian ships interned at
Bahia,
Brazil.
Pueblo returned to
Norfolk, Virginia on 18 January 1918, and from 5 February – 16 October, made seven voyages to escort
convoys carrying men and supplies to England. After carrying the Brazilian ambassador to the United States to
Rio de Janeiro, she returned to transatlantic duty, making six voyages between
Hoboken and
Brest, France, to bring home veterans of the
American Expeditionary Force.
Post war Pueblo arrived at Philadelphia, on 8 August 1919, and was placed in reduced commission until decommissioned on 22 September. She was redesignated
CA-7 in 1920. In commission for the last time from 2 April 1921 – 28 September 1927, she served as
receiving ship in the
3rd Naval District. She was scrapped on 2 October 1930, in accordance with the
London Naval Treaty for the reduction of naval armaments. ==In popular culture==