[14][15][16] Rogers happened to be a major developer of coal and railroads in West Virginia along the Kanawha River.

Under Rogers' ownership, Kanawha raced Sandy Hook, which was another of the New Jersey Central Railroad's steamers.

[17] In March 1902, Rogers took guests including the humorist Mark Twain, essayist Laurence Hutton, and former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Thomas B Reed aboard Kanawha on a visit to Santiago de Cuba and Newport News, Virginia.

[18][19][20] On another occasion, Rogers hosted the African American educator Booker T. Washington aboard Kanawha.

[22] On August 25, 1903 she won a race across New York Bay against steam yachts including Chichota, Noma, and Zara.

This year the race was over a 60-mile course off the Sandy Hook Lightship, and competitors included the steam yacht Hauoli.

The Navy had loaned the destroyer USS Truxtun to the Regatta Committee, and allegedly she was unable to keep up with Kanawha.

[24] In 1907 Twain was again Rogers' guest aboard Kanawha, this time to visit Norfolk, VA for the Jamestown Exposition.

[25] On July 9, she raced another New Jersey Central Railroad steamer, Asbury Park, across New York Bay.

[26] In September 1907 Twain again on Kanawha from New York to Norfolk for a commemoration of Robert Fulton at the Jamestown Exposition.

[34][35] Black Star is said to have renamed her Antonio Maceo, but this name may not have been registered, as news reports continued to call her Kanawha.

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.