Mills Transportation Company

History of the Mills Transportation Company

The Mills Transportation Company was another prominent shipping enterprise operating on the Great Lakes, likely during the same period as the Orient Transportation Company.

Founding and Operations

• Founded: Late 19th century.

• The Yankee was a small, two-masted scow-schooner built in 1884 by shipbuilder J. Huxtable in Sand Beach, Michigan (modern-day Harbor Beach). Scow-schooners were popular during this era for their versatility in navigating shallow waters and their ability to transport a variety of cargoes, particularly lumber, coal, and stone. Due to her small size, the Yankee was likely used for short-haul transport along the Michigan and Ontario shorelines of Lake Huron.

Mills Transportation Company emphasized efficiency and reliability, which made it a preferred choice among merchants and industrialists. Its operations contributed significantly to the economic growth of port cities along the Great Lakes.

Decline

The fate of the Mills Transportation Company is unclear, but like many transportation companies of the era, it likely faced challenges from railroad competition, shifts in shipping demands, and economic downturns, such as the Great Depression.