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THE WABASH FLEET LAKE ERIE TRANSPORATION COMPANY 1879-1911 By Rev. Edward J. Dowling, S.J. The Wabash Railway established its Great Lakes steamship line in 1879 in an effort to make freight handling connections with the eastern railroads, This undertaking was called the Lake Erie Transportation Company and operated mostly between Toledo and Buffalo. Six package freighters and one tug are listed as belonging to the fleet. A. W. Colton of Toledo was the managing operator for nearly the entire thirty-two years of the L.E.T. Co's existence. Service began in 1879 with two small wooden freighters chartered, then purchased. Four larger ships were built for the fleet in later years. The Wabash fleet ceased operations in 1911 when the parent railroad was able to make through rail connections to the east coast. At that time the last two units of the fleet were sold to Erie's Union Steamboat Line. The colors of this fleet were: black hull, white cabins and yellow stack with black top. The ships listed below are known to have been in the fleet. JOHN C. GAULT (US.76204) wooden package freighter built for the line by the Union Dry Dock Company of Buffalo (Hull #21) in 1881. 218 x 33 x 18, 1212 gross tons. Sold in 1907 and reduced to a steam barge (591 g.t.). Renamed FELIX CARBRAY in 1919. Sent to salt water in 1915 and renamed CRESCENT. Foundered, off Cape Hatteras, N.C., 3-1-1916. GEORGE J. GOULD (US.86267), steel package freighter built for the fleet at Buffalo by the Union Dry Dock Company, in 1893. 266 x 40x 23, 2237 gross tons. Sold to Union Steamboat Company in 1911 and renamed GRANVILLE A. RICHARDSON. In 1919 became Canadian GLENCAIRN (C.138216). Returned to American registry in 1926 as the sand dredge NASSAU, working mostly in the Chicago area. Scrapped at South Chicago in 1951. GEORGE J. GOULD Author's Collection