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The Detroit Marine Historian Journal of Marine Historical Society of Detroit Volume 34, No. 9 - May, 1981 Published Monthly Annual Dues $8.00 Rev. Peter Van der Linden, Editor - 29825 Joy Road - Westland, Michigan 48185 THE LEHIGH VALLEY TRANSPORTATION COMPANY Rev. E. J. Dowling, S.J. Part I CAYUGA of 1890 From a Painting by Fr. Dowling McDonald Collection, Dossin Museum The Lehigh Valley Transportation Company was owned by the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company, and was organized in 1881. Service commenced in that year with the ROBERT A. PACKER, OCEANICA, CLYDE and TACOMA, all of which are detailed in the fleet list that follows. Their colors were black hull, white cabins, yellow spars and black stack with a maroon band and white letters "L.V." on a black diamond. w The five sisterships built between 1888 and 1890 -- the E. P. WILBUR, SENECA, CAYUGA (shown above), TUSCARORA and SARANAC -- are believed by many to have been the finest looking steamers on the Great Lakes. These ships traded primarily between Chicago and Buffalo, with an occasional trip to Lake Superior. The Lehigh Valley fleet came to an end in 1920 when the railroads were forced to divest their ships, and the MAUCH CHUNK and WILKSBARRE passed into the Great Lakes Transit Corporation.