She was used to transport coal, iron ore and grain across the Great Lakes of North America and Canada.

[1] The Sheadle was built by the Great Lakes Engineering Works of Ecorse, Michigan, for the Grand Island Steamship Company of Cleveland, Ohio.

On that same day the Sheadle met up with another downbound freighter, the Canadian steamer James Carruthers off the shores of Georgian Bay.

They could see the lights of the Carruthers until she made a port turn to keep her south of Great Duck Island and on a strait line to Georgian Bay.

The Sheadle's steering gear failed on November 19, 1920, while backing from a dock at Marquette, Michigan she was loaded with iron ore at the time.

She struck the rocks, tearing away her rudder and putting a large hole in tank number seven, causing her to settle to the bottom.

The LaSalle was repowered with a DeLaval double reduction geared cross-compound steam turbine by American Ship Building Company of Lorain, Ohio.

In May of 1979 the Meaford was purchased by the Soo River Company of Toronto and renamed Pierson Independent.