The self-unloading bulk carrier American Century was built by Bay Shipbuilding Co., Sturgeon Bay, WI, and was launched as Columbia Star on November 8, 1980 for Columbia Transportation Division, Oglebay Norton Co., Cleveland, OH. She is powered by four V-20 cylinder 3,560 horsepower G.M. diesel engines driving through a gear reduction box to two controllable pitch propellers giving her a rated service speed of 15 knots. She is equipped with both bow and stern thrusters. The American Century has 37 hatches feeding into seven holds where she is capable of carrying 78,850 tons at her maximum mid-summer draft of 34 feet. Her stern-mounted 260-foot self-unloading boom can be swung 92 degrees to port or starboard and can discharge at a rate of up to 10,000 tons per hour.

The Columbia Transportation Co. corporate name was phased out in 1994 resulting in the Columbia Star’s stack paint scheme changing to that of Oglebay Norton, with the Oglebay Norton logo placed on her bow beneath her name. The vessel’s activity has generally been focused on the coal trade from the Superior Midwest Energy Terminal dock in Superior, WI, to the DTE power plants in St. Clair and Monroe, MI. She has also taken coal from Superior, WI, to Muskegon, MI, and taconite from Taconite Harbor, MN to Lorain, OH. The Columbia Star broke a Soo Locks record for western coal of 70,903 net tons set in 1997.

On June 6, 2006, in a joint announcement made with American Steamship Co. of Williamsville, NY, Oglebay Norton Co. announced the sale of the Columbia Star and five of her fleetmates to American Steamship Co. (ASC) for $120 million. With the sale came the new name of American Century, under which she continues to sail for ASC.

In February 2020, Rand Logistics announced that they purchased American Steamship Company from their parent company GATX Corp. No immediate changes were made to the fleet, but the American Century did not fit out until partway through the 2020 season due to an economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. She is an active vessel in the ore and coal trades.

Written by George Wharton, updated by Brendan Falkowski