This triangle, located in the Queens neighborhood of Maspeth in the shadow of the Long Island Expressway, is named in honor of American naval hero, Captain Oliver Hazard Perry (1785-1819). In the famous Battle of Lake Erie, Oliver Hazard Perry became the first man in history to defeat an entire British naval squadron and triumphantly bring home every ship as a war prize.
A Rhode Islander, Perry entered the Navy at age 13 as a midshipman. In 1805, he was promoted to lieutenant and given command of a schooner. During the War of 1812, he took a post on Lake Ontario in anticipation of a British attack. When none occurred, he was transferred to Erie, Pennsylvania. There he was responsible for building up a fleet with the purpose of taking Lake Erie from British hands. By September 1813, Perry had trained and prepared his fleet, leading an attack on the British squadron.