USS Houston (AK-1)

The USS Houston (AK-1) was the first U.S. Navy ship to bear the name, a cargo ship commissioned in 1917 during World War I. Originally built as the German freighter Liebenfels in 1903, she was acquired by the Navy and renamed Houston for her service carrying vital supplies and materials to support U.S. and Allied forces. Though not a combat vessel, she played an important logistical role throughout the war, ensuring the flow of equipment and provisions across the Atlantic. After the Armistice, she continued in service until being decommissioned in 1922, quietly laying the foundation for the proud line of U.S. Navy ships that would go on to carry the name Houston.