SS Nenana is a five-deck (main or cargo, saloon, boat or hurricane, Texas, and pilothouse), western river, sternwheel paddleship.

A Texas, topped by a pilothouse mounted forward in poolboat style, provided staterooms for a portion of the crew of 32.

World War II brought a military buildup in Alaska and kept Nenana busy.

Yutana Barge Lines operated Nenana to haul freight on rivers for one season but discontinued her lease at that time as unprofitable.

All bids were rejected as too low until a group with associations to the Chamber of Commerce formed to bring Nenana to Fairbanks.

She is the only surviving wooden ship of this type, and was for this reason declared a National Historic Landmark in 1989.