The SS Keno was completed in time for the 1922 river traffic season (which was short on the Yukon, owing to it being ice-bound for much of the year).
Her maiden voyage took place on 15 August 1922, which she made laden with a total of 120 tons of meat; 50 in her own holds and 70 loaded on a barge.
However, during the majority of her career the SS Keno's major cargo was silver, lead and zinc ore concentrate, produced by the silver mines around Keno City and Elsa.
This was loaded into sacks, each weighing approximately 125 lb (57 kg).
The ore was transported by cart or sled down the Silver Trail to Mayo Landing on the river, where it was stockpiled through the winter months.
Each year, once the ice cleared toward the end of the spring the SS Keno and her elderly stablemate, the SS Canadian, would transport the ore downriver to Stewart City, at the confluence between the Stewart and Yukon rivers.
From here the BYN Co.'s larger vessels then transported the ore up the Yukon River to Whitehorse, where it was transshipped onto the White Pass and Yukon Route railroad for transportation to ocean ports at the coast.
Each 125 lb sack was loaded and unloaded by hand at each stage of its river journey, and in 1938 alone the Keno transported over 9,000 short tons (8,165 t) of ore.
On its return to Mayo Keno carried supplies and food for the mining camps.
The journey upriver from Stewart to Mayo included 14 sets of rapids and took three days, while the journey in the opposite direction could be completed in just 12 hours.

The narrow, fast-flowing rivers were strewn with sandbars and shallowly covered rocks.
Each year these could change position dramatically during the spring thaw when the river was high with meltwater; throughout the remainder of the season they kept moving, albeit more slowly.
These conditions meant that even for a vessel specifically designed for the Yukon navigation was still beset by hazards, and the SS Keno did not escape mishap.
On 8 June 1927 she hit a submerged rock on the Yukon River's Big Bend, south of Whitehorse, and sank.
She was raised, repaired and re-entered service.
In 1933, while working on the Thirtymile River stretch of the Yukon River, the Keno was severely damaged when the barge she was pushing partially ran aground on a bend.
The barge dug in, and caused the Keno to swing in the river which brought her stern in contact with the far bank.
The consequent impact smashed the Keno's paddlewheel and broke off her rudders.
Again she was repaired and re-entered service.

SS Keno continued to operate in commercial service within the Yukon watershed for almost 30 years.
In addition to her work on the Stewart River, her shallow draught and smaller dimensions meant that she was often pressed into service on the main Whitehorse–Dawson route early in the season, when parts of the river were narrowed by ice.
In 1942 the Keno was used to transport US Army men and equipment during construction of the Alaska Highway.
She was retired in 1951 after completion, extension and improvement of the Klondike Highway made road transport the cheapest and preferred method for moving goods and people around the territory.
The Keno was laid up on the ways at the shipyard in Whitehorse, on the banks of the Yukon River, where she was joined by many of the surviving sternwheeler fleet a few years later after the BYN Co. ceased paddle steamer operations completely in 1955.
The SS Keno was completed in time for the 1922 river traffic season (which was short on the Yukon, owing to it being ice-bound for much of the year). Her maiden voyage took place on 15 August 1922, which she made laden with a total of 120 tons of meat; 50 in her own holds and 70 loaded on a barge. However, during the majority of her career the SS Keno's major cargo was silver, lead and zinc ore concentrate, produced by the silver mines around Keno City and Elsa. This was loaded into sacks, each weighing approximately 125 lb (57 kg). The ore was transported by cart or sled down the Silver Trail to Mayo Landing on the river, where it was stockpiled through the winter months. Each year, once the ice cleared toward the end of the spring the SS Keno and her elderly stablemate, the SS Canadian, would transport the ore downriver to Stewart City, at the confluence between the Stewart and Yukon rivers. From here the BYN Co.'s larger vessels then transported the ore up the Yukon River to Whitehorse, where it was transshipped onto the White Pass and Yukon Route railroad for transportation to ocean ports at the coast. Each 125 lb sack was loaded and unloaded by hand at each stage of its river journey, and in 1938 alone the Keno transported over 9,000 short tons (8,165 t) of ore. On its return to Mayo Keno carried supplies and food for the mining camps. The journey upriver from Stewart to Mayo included 14 sets of rapids and took three days, while the journey in the opposite direction could be completed in just 12 hours.
The narrow, fast-flowing rivers were strewn with sandbars and shallowly covered rocks. Each year these could change position dramatically during the spring thaw when the river was high with meltwater; throughout the remainder of the season they kept moving, albeit more slowly. These conditions meant that even for a vessel specifically designed for the Yukon navigation was still beset by hazards, and the SS Keno did not escape mishap. On 8 June 1927 she hit a submerged rock on the Yukon River's Big Bend, south of Whitehorse, and sank. She was raised, repaired and re-entered service. In 1933, while working on the Thirtymile River stretch of the Yukon River, the Keno was severely damaged when the barge she was pushing partially ran aground on a bend. The barge dug in, and caused the Keno to swing in the river which brought her stern in contact with the far bank. The consequent impact smashed the Keno's paddlewheel and broke off her rudders. Again she was repaired and re-entered service.
SS Keno continued to operate in commercial service within the Yukon watershed for almost 30 years. In addition to her work on the Stewart River, her shallow draught and smaller dimensions meant that she was often pressed into service on the main Whitehorse–Dawson route early in the season, when parts of the river were narrowed by ice. In 1942 the Keno was used to transport US Army men and equipment during construction of the Alaska Highway. She was retired in 1951 after completion, extension and improvement of the Klondike Highway made road transport the cheapest and preferred method for moving goods and people around the territory. The Keno was laid up on the ways at the shipyard in Whitehorse, on the banks of the Yukon River, where she was joined by many of the surviving sternwheeler fleet a few years later after the BYN Co. ceased paddle steamer operations completely in 1955.
SS Keno