the vessel was launched on february 7, 1906, by great lakes engineering works in ecorse, michigan. the shipyard had received an order to rivet together the plates of a hull for what was then the booming minnesota iron ore trade. soon the large boat, christened "william p. snyder", was shuttling hematite for the shenango furnace company. "william p. snyder" was beginning her working life at the same time as the development of the assembly line for bolting together consumer goods made with steel, such as automobiles. iron ore boats would have plenty of work to do. "william p. snyder" also carried iron ore to furnaces to make munitions used in world war i and world war ii.