[1] The vessel was built in Detroit, Michigan, in 1929, by the Great Lakes Engineering Works.

[1] During her eighty years in service she was upgraded with a self-unloading boom and conveyor belts, a bow thruster, and her steam engine was replaced with a more powerful diesel.

According to George Wharton, of the boatnerd site, she was the largest vessel in the US Steel's fleets, when built, but by 1981, she had become one of the smallest.

Her original steam engine produced 1,618 kilowatts (2,170 bhp), and over the winter of 1967/1968 her steam engine was replaced with a diesel producing 3,114 kilowatts (4,176 bhp).

[1] She experienced a number of groundings, collisions and other incidents, none of which caused loss of life or serious damage.