[1] She was constructed of white oak and yellow fir brought to San Francisco from Oregon and Washington,[1] and was schooner-rigged with iron-wire standing rigging.

[1] Home-ported at Port Townsend, Washington,[1] Wolcott was assigned to the Bering Sea Patrol[1] and spent most of her career operating in the waters of the Territory of Alaska.

Late in Wolcott's career, she rescued the survivors of the schooner Elwood at Killisnoo in Southeast Alaska.

[2] Elwood had been wrecked on a reef off Gardner Point (57°01′N 134°37′W / 57.017°N 134.617°W / 57.017; -134.617 (Gardner Point)) on 14 December 1895 with the loss of one life,[2] and her survivors made a journey via Murder Cove on the southernmost coast of Admiralty Island in the Alexander Archipelago in order to reach Killisnoo.

[4] All on board reached safety and the gold bullion was salvaged, but Wolcott became a total loss.