USS Illinois BB-7 Model

USS Illinois (BB-7) was the U.S. Navy's first Illinois-class battleship and the second warship named for the "Prarie State."  It was built by the Newport News, Virginia shipyard and commissioned in 1901.  From 1907 to 1909, USS Illinois participated in the Great White Fleet's circumnavigation of the globe ordered by President Theodore Roosevelt.  During World War I, it saw no combat and served as a training ship, after which it was converted into a floating armory for the New York Naval Militia to comply with the Washington Naval Treaty's restrictions on battleships.  During World War II, USS Illinois was renamed USS Prairie State (IX-15) to have its name reused on a battleship that was never built, and served as a barracks ship.  It was finally retired in 1955, having outlasted many newer battleships, and scrapped in 1956.  A model of USS Illinois at the Los Angeles Maritime Museum in San Pedro, California shows the unusual side-by-side funnels.