On this day in 1931, Grace Coolidge christened a new Dollar Liner with water. Not just any water, mind you. It was water from the Coolidge farm in Plymouth and the liner was named “President Coolidge.”

The postmistress of Plymouth, Miss Florence Cilley, had sent the bottle ahead of time, and the former first lady made a special appearance for the new liner’s christening.

The ship would be used for cargo and passengers from San Francisco to the Far East for over 10 years before becoming an army transport. It struck a minefield and sank in 1942, but of the 5,000 men on board, only two were lost.

Image courtesy the U.S. Naval Historical Center.