Business Records and Marketing Material

The history of water-based transportation related companies is complex in that vessels, lines, and branding contain many joint ventures, mergers, and consolidations. Routes are often incorporated into names and brands, so there is often one or more companies that operated lines with very similar names, but having no business association whatsoever. In addition, there were a myriad of independent operators owning a single vessel or a small fleet. Many companies used name derivatives. Researchers are advised that sorting errors and disassociation of related entities may be present and the researcher should review all sections of the guide or perform a keyword search to help identify possible relevant material.