A. Palmer was built as a wooden commercial fishing vessel of the same name in 1912 by the Jackson and Sharp Company at Wilmington, Delaware.

The U.S. Navy acquired her from her owners, the C. E. Davis Packing Company of Reedville, Virginia, on 7 April 1917 for World War I service as a patrol vessel.

USS SP-319 was transferred permanently to the Coast Guard and commissioned on 10 September 1919 for continued use as a cable ship.

On 28 April 1922 Pequot towed her replacement vessel, the former U.S.Army mine planter USAMP General Samuel M. Mills; which was to become the second USCGC Pequot (WARC-58) (1922) from Newport News, Virginia to the depot at the United States Coast Guard Yard, Curtis Bay, Maryland.

[2] This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Coast Guard.