Alpaco is a Ferris-type wooden cargo vessel built by the Hodge Ship Co., Moss Point, MS, for the United States Shipping Board. Ships like Alpaco were built for the U.S. Emergency Fleet between 1917-1919 as part of America’s engagement in World War I. Although nearly 300 wooden warships were built, the war ended before the ships could be used. Many of them were scuttled to Mallows Bay in the Potomac River for the purpose of salvaging scrap metal, such as engines, steam boilers, and propellers. The vessel is now resting on its keel and is in an excellent state of preservation. The hull is overgrown with vegetation and is partially submerged.