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Che Betroit Marine Historian JOURNAL OF MARINE HISTORICAL SOCIETY © 4 b Ea OF DETROIT aN 3 Sots. Masthead cut U.S. C.G.C.MACKINAW Contributed by Jack Goodrich Volume 9,No.8 April 1956 Rey. Edward J. Dowling, S. J. Editor == = OK OK OK ROK OK KK OR OK OK ROK OK OK OK KOK KR KOK KK KK KK KOK OK KK KK OK OK OK Ships of the GILCHRIST TRANSPORTATION COMPANY - Part I The Gilchrist schooners B.F.BRUCE (foreground) and WM.CROSTHWAITE at Sault Ste Marie Joseph C.Gilchrist of Vermilion, Ohio started his lake transportation business around 1880, with several wooden freighters and schooners. In 1897 the holdings were incorporated as the Gilchrist Transportation Company with headquarters in Cleveland, and port of registry as Fairport, Ohio. The ships were painted black in the upper hull and gray below the load line, black stack and white cabins. The company house flag was a dark blue field with a large white "G". Some of the wooden steamers, having two stacks side by side as was traditional, carried a large letter "G" between the stacks. ihe company sold many of its schooners to Atlantic coast buyers in 1898. Between 1901 and 1907 it built 27 steel freighters. The company went into receivership in 1910 and its assets were sold in 1913 Our first part will list the schooners, steel barges, and a tug. The second installment will deal with the wooden freighters, and the third with the steel steamers of the fleet. Another member of the family, Frank W.Gilchrist, engaged extensive- ly in the lumber business at Alpena and operated a fleet of lumber carriers out of that port, as well as several tugs. This latter group does not con- stitute part of the Gilchrist Transportation Co., and is not listed here.