Alabama was built by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company at Manitowoc, Wisconsin, in 1909. She was 275feet in length, had a 46feet, 6inches beam, and drew 17feet She was equipped with a 2,200 horsepower quadruple expansion steam engine and a three coal-burning Scotch marine boilers.
Alabamas first owner was the Goodrich Transit Company.
After Goodrich Transit went bankrupt in 1933 she joined the Chicago, Duluth and Georgian Bay Transit Company, which also owned the and .
In 1946, the Georgian Bay Line sold Alabama for conversion to barge service. She was moved to Detroit's Rouge River where her passenger cabins were removed and her hull renovated for use as a cargo barge to haul scrap metal.
Purchased in 2005 by Dean Construction, she was towed to LaSalle, Ontario, Canada, that October, and was later scrapped.