Seen here at Cleveland late 70's
Launched May 14th 1943 at the Cleveland Yard of the American Shipbuilding Co. Built under the U.S. Maritime Commissions shipbuilding program as the L6-S-A1 type, the designation meant; Great Lakes vessel (L), 600-699 feet long (6), steam powered (S); the "A" being a specific design and the "1", a sub-design.
The A1's were the first boats on the Great Lakes to be built with a new cruiser stern design and the only lakers to be powered by a 2,500 i.h.p. four crank, double compound steam engine built by Lentz Standard Marine Engine with 2 coal-fired water-tube boilers made by Combustion Engineering Co.


On December 30, 1987 the Thomas Wilson under tow in the North Atlantic heading to be scrapped, parted her towline and sunk near position 34_08'N by 61_35'12"W (approximately in line with Cape Hatteras, NC) early the next day.