The ferry was built for the Western Pacific Railroad as Edward T. Jeffery in 1913 and subsequently renamed Feather River.

The ferry offered connecting service to San Francisco for Western Pacific train passengers arriving in Oakland, California.

Southern Pacific renamed the ferry Sierra Nevada and placed it in commuter service between San Francisco and Alameda, California until that route was discontinued in 1939.

In 1942, the ferry was requisitioned by the federal government to carry shipyard workers from San Francisco to Richmond Yard 1 through World War II.

Corps of Engineers documented the shipwreck and found the ship's propulsion system eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.