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
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
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
The story
The Transport Truck Company founders get together to sign incorporation papers in July 22nd, 1918...
The papers were sent off to Lansing and the company was officially incorporated on August 22nd, 1918...
Immediately the town was behind the project...
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...
For a moment the future of the company was in doubt because of the war as stated here in August of 1918...
The company buys the List Manufacturing Company in Clare in October of 1918 and will move the equipment to their temporary factory...
The first appearance of a Transport happens on Wednesday, October 9th, 1918...
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...
The business was ready to roll at near the end of December as production got started and the orders started to come in...
One of the early trucks built was for Mt. Pleasant's own fire department shown here in March of 1919...
The Transport Truck Company made the town expand rapidly...
The factory was moving along and nearing completion as shown here in July, August, and September of 1919...
The company moved into the new building in late November 1919 and a railroad spur was considered...
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...
The Henry Ford Museum has a piece of Transport history in their collection...
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...
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...
Transport orders were even taken by air route...
Some of the many ads....
Transport was to be shown in the 1920 New York Auto Show...
They also took part in the 4th Annual Pacific Show in San Francisco 1920...
This article shows M.A. Holmes with a skeptical view of the truck industry after the show...
The company had a lot of community support and even helped out during the railroad strike by helping haul many things...
As the company continued on, more models were being built and more stock was sold...
The company was said to be masters of marketing and promotion as shown here in this photo and article...
In 1922 and 1923 many of the personnel began to change.
This partial article from February 1923 shows the vast number of dealerships Transport had...
By October of 1924 the company had went from success to just trying to hang on and finally in December went into receivership...
There was an effort in 1925 to bring the company back but it failed...
The company closed and the property and the contents were sold off. M.A. Holmes went on to the Commerce Truck Company in Ypsilanti.
