The America was a propeller tug originally built as a passenger vessel in 1915 by the Burger Boat Company in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. It had an official number of 213020 and was registered in the United States. The vessel had a wooden hull and underwent rebuilds during its lifetime, including a tonnage change in 1925 and a rig change to a tug in 1943.
The America measured approximately 56 feet in length, 17 feet in width, and 6.5 feet in depth. It had a gross tonnage of 40 tons and a net tonnage of 39 tons.
On February 9, 1952, the America suffered a hull failure and sank at its dock in Port Huron, Michigan. The vessel, due to its age, developed a leak that led to its sinking. A salvage attempt from the river was unsuccessful, and as a result, the America was cut up in place and hauled away by truck in July of the same year.
Throughout its operational history, the America changed ownership several times. It was initially owned by the Bay Transportation Company from 1924 to 1943, then by E.S. Lindsay from 1943 to 1947, and later by the Inland Lakes Towing and Dredging Company from 1947 to 1952. In its final period of ownership, it was under the ownership of Harold Van Niman and William D. Richards.
