Inland Star Transit Co. – Mentor, Ohio

Overview

The Inland Star Transit Company was a Great Lakes shipping firm based in Mentor, Ohio, active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The company was involved in the transport of bulk freight, primarily coal, iron ore, and grain, using wooden steam freighters and schooner-barges.

Notable Vessels Owned, Operated or Built by

• Bulk Freighter D.C. Whitney (Owned 1901–1903) Built: 1882, St. Clair, Michigan  Acquired by Inland Star Transit in 1901 from J.C. Gilchrist, Cleveland Sold in 1903 to Gilchrist Transportation Co., Mentor, Ohio

The company likely operated several similar wooden freighters, many of which were eventually sold, repurposed, or converted into barges as steel-hulled ships became dominant.

Mentor, Ohio’s Role in Great Lakes Shipping

• Mentor, Ohio, is not traditionally known as a major port, but it was home to several shipping interests and companies that managed freighters operating on Lake Erie and beyond.

• Companies like Inland Star Transit Co. would have likely used ports such as Cleveland, Toledo, and Detroit as their primary bases of operation.

Decline & Legacy

By the early 1900s, wooden bulk freighters were being replaced by steel-hulled vessels, leading to the decline of companies operating older wooden ships.

• No records exist of Inland Star Transit beyond the early 1900s, suggesting that the company was absorbed, rebranded, or went out of business.

Conclusion

The Inland Star Transit Co. played a small but notable role in Great Lakes shipping, primarily operating aging wooden bulk freighters like the D.C. Whitney. The company’s short-lived existence reflects the rapid evolution of Great Lakes shipping, as larger steel freighters quickly replaced older wooden vessels.