Muscatine I (Id. 2226)
1918-1919
A city and county in Iowa named for an Indian word meaning dweller in the prairie.
I
(Id.No. 2226: dp. 10,502 (n.); l. 392'6"; b. 52'; dr. 23'; a. 10.5 k.; cpl. 108; a. 1 3", 1 5")
Muscatine, a refrigerator ship built in 1917 as Stian by Standard Shipbuilding Corps., Shooters Island, for the Norwegian firm, Salveson, Chr. & Co., was commandeered by USSB and transferred to the Navy 28 April and commissioned 2 May, 1918, Lt. Comdr. Jesse Smith, USNRF, in command.
After refitting and loading a mixed cargo of Navy supplies Muscatine cleared Halifax in convoy 30 May bound for France. Arriving at St. Nazaire 14 June, she discharged her cargo, proceeded to Verdon, and departed in convoy for New York 7 July. In the subsequent months the ship made five more round‑trip voyages to St. Nazaire with cargoes of beef and butter.
After completing her last run early in July 1919, Muscatine decommissioned at New York 16 July 1919 and returned to USSB. In 1929 she was sold to F. D. M. Stracham, Savannah, Ga., and the following year renamed Floridian.
