The second of a series of four Pennsylvania-class vessels, Ohio and her three sister ships—Pennsylvania, Indiana and Illinois—were the largest iron ships ever built in the United States at the time of their construction,[1] and amongst the first to be fitted with compound steam engines.

[2] The Railroad intended to utilize the vessels to bring European immigrants direct to Philadelphia, thus ensuring the company a steady stream of customers.

In recognition of this purpose, the four ships - Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois and Ohio - were named after the four states serviced by the Railroad.

The company established an entirely new shipyard for construction of the vessels, serviced by its own blacksmith, engine, boiler and carpentry shops, as well as providing it with a 700-foot (210 m) outfitting wharf.

[8] A short-lived shipbuilding boom in the early 1870s made it difficult for the Cramp shipyard to obtain iron plates and other materials, and the yard was also affected by shortages of skilled labor.

With the American Line struggling to turn a profit in the wake of the 1873 financial panic, the company decided to experiment with some novel exports.

Delaware fruit growers had experienced a bumper year in 1875, and a glut of peaches on the local market had depressed the price correspondingly.

Seeking to take advantage of the situation, the ASC's management placed advertisements offering to ship the surplus fruit to the United Kingdom in specially ventilated compartments on Ohio.

The new engine, built and installed by James Howell of Glasgow,[13][14] was smaller, allowing for more cargo space, and more economical to run.

Clement Acton Griscom, the executive head of the Inman Line, took advantage of this demand to sell the ageing and outdated Pennsylvania class vessels at a premium.

[15] There, the vessel was sold to the Alaska Steamship Company,[13] and subsequently commenced servicing the Seattle-Nome route,[1] which she was to maintain to the end.

In 1908, Ohio's captain, mindful of the previous year's accident, infuriated his passengers by refusing to complete the journey before the ice melted.

[1] On August 26, 1909, Ohio hit an uncharted rock (which is now named Ohio Rock) at Sarah Island at the South end of Heikish narrows and the North end of Finlayson Channel, British Columbia, but the captain was able to beach the ship before she sank, saving the lives of all but four of the 214 passengers and crew.