WHEELS WATER & ENGINES
  • Home
  • Manufacturers Museums and Historical Sites
  • Motorsports and Venues
  • Shows Cruises and Clubs
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Manufacturers Museums and Historical Sites
  • Motorsports and Venues
  • Shows Cruises and Clubs
  • Contact

Transport Truck Company
1918-1925

Transport Truck Company

Years In Operation:  1918-1925
Models Built: Several different models
Approximate Number of Cars Built:  At least 14
​Factory Address: Mount Pleasant, MI
​Officers of the Company:
  • M.A. Holmes: President/Board
  • H.E. Chatterton: Vice President/Board
  • A.E. Gorham: Treasurer/Board
  • F.W. Gargett: Assistant President
  • W.D. Hood: Secretary and Assistant Treasurer
  • C.E. Hagan: Board of Directors
  • E.J. Mecall: Board of Directors
  • N.A. Wise: Chief Engineer
  • C.V. Marshall: Purchasing Agent
  • C.L. Graham: Production Manager

What can i see today?

There are at least 2 Transport Trucks in existence.  One is being refurbished at Central Michigan University and is currently not on display.  The other belongs to the Mt. Pleasant Fire Department and is on display outside of their station.
​Address: 804 E. High St., Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858

Find out more about the Transport Truck Company contact the Isabella County Historical Society
Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Community-Organization/Isabella-County-Historical-Society-2019635561587668/
The first factory location was at the Battle Automobile Company located in the Campbell Building.  The factory is no longer standing and is now just a parking lot.
Address: 107 North Main Street, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858
Picture
Picture
The permanent factory location is no longer standing.  The Commerce Center now occupies the property and is owned by Sam Staples who donated his Transport Truck to Central Michigan University.
​Address: 711 West Pickard Road, Mt. Pleasant, MI
Picture

The story

The Transport Truck Company founders get together to sign incorporation papers in July 22nd, 1918...
Picture
The papers were sent off to Lansing and the company was officially incorporated on August 22nd, 1918...
Picture
Immediately the town was behind the project...
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
The business was headed up by Milton A. Holmes who had been with Republic Truck over in Alma.  He had been vice president there for 2 years as well as general sales manager.  This article was from the Greenville Independent July 24th, 1918...
Picture
Picture
For a moment the future of the company was in doubt because of the war as stated here in August of 1918...
Picture
Picture
The company buys the List Manufacturing Company in Clare in October of 1918 and will move the equipment to their temporary factory...
Picture
Picture
The first appearance of a Transport happens on Wednesday, October 9th, 1918...
Picture

Production was to start in January of 1919 at the temporary factory in the Battle building in Mt. Pleasant.  The ads below shows the original building in March of 1918 and Battle being a distibutor of Transport.  Production was hoping to be 25 trucks in the first month...
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
The business was ready to roll at near the end of December as production got started and the orders started to come in...
Picture
Picture

Picture
One of the early trucks built was for Mt. Pleasant's own fire department shown here in March of 1919...
Picture
Picture
The Transport Truck Company made the town expand rapidly...
Picture
Picture
The factory was moving along and nearing completion as shown here in July, August, and September of 1919...
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
The company moved into the new building in late November 1919 and a railroad spur was considered...
Picture
Picture
Picture
The factory was located at 711 West Pickard Ave. as shown here from the Sanborn Map from 1924.  The photos below show the saw-tooth roof of the original building...
Picture
Picture
The Henry Ford Museum has a piece of Transport history in their collection...
Picture
The following months after the factory was built saw the company shipping trucks off to many locations and participating in the Chicago Auto Show and Great Truck Exposition...
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Dealerships started to spread all over the country.  The Battle Automobile Company was the local dealer in Mt. Pleasant and also housed the original temporary factory on the upper floors...
Picture
Picture
Picture
Transport orders were even taken by air route...
Picture
Some of the many ads....
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Transport was to be shown in the 1920 New York Auto Show...
Picture
Picture
Picture
They also took part in the 4th Annual Pacific Show in San Francisco 1920...
Picture
Picture
This article shows M.A. Holmes with a skeptical view of the truck industry after the show...
Picture
The company had a lot of community support and even helped out during the railroad strike by helping haul many things...
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

As the company continued on, more models were being built and more stock was sold...
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
The company was said to be masters of marketing and promotion as shown here in this photo and article...
Picture
Picture

In 1922 and 1923 many of the personnel began to change.
Picture
Picture

Picture
Picture
This partial article from February 1923 shows the vast number of dealerships Transport had...
Picture
By October of 1924 the company had went from success to just trying to hang on and finally in December went into receivership...
Picture
Picture
There was an effort in 1925 to bring the company back but it failed...
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
The company closed and the property and the contents were sold off.  M.A. Holmes went on to the Commerce Truck Company in Ypsilanti.
Picture

references

  • Library of Congress-Sanborn Map-1924
  • Motor West-1919-1921
  • Mount Pleasant Times-1916-1926
  • Isabella County Enterprise-1916-1926
  • The Henry Ford Museum
  • Michigan Manufacturer & Financial Record-Volume 30
  • Automobile Trade Journal-Volume 25
​Manufacturers Museums and Historical Sites
Motorsports and Venues
Shows Cruises and Clubs
Heritage Trails
​Interviews
Contact

© COPYRIGHT 2022  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.