Agwilines Inc

Agwilines Inc

Company type	Private company
Industry	Shipping, passenger and freight services
Founded	1908
Fate	Acquired by Graham-Newman Corporation in 1949
Headquarters	New York City , United States
Area served	Atlantic, Gulf & West Indies regions
Products	Passenger and freight shipping services

Agwilines Inc was a shipping enterprise specializing in both passenger and freight services, headquartered in New York City. The acronym represents Atlantic, Gulf & West Indies Steamship Inc.. From the 1910s through the 1930s, AGWI Lines managed four principal routes:

• Ward Line
• Clyde line
• Mallory Line
• Porto Rico Line

These routes were eventually merged into the Clyde-Mallory Lines.

The company maintained offices across several cities including New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, and Washington. Established in 1908, it came under the control of Graham-Newman Corporation in 1949—an investment firm founded by Benjamin Graham and Jerome Newman in 1926—following the purchase of 70,000 shares.

Mallory Line

The Mallory Line, also referred to as New York & Texas Steamship Company, was established in 1866 by Charles Henry Mallory (1818–1890), a prominent businessman. Originally a family-operated passenger service concentrated on coastal trade, it connected significant ports such as New York, Galveston, New Orleans, Havana, and Mobile. Mallory collaborated with Elihu Spicer to create C.H. Mallory & Company.

In 1907, Charles W. Morse acquired Mallory Line and combined it with the Ward Line under Consolidated Steamship Lines. After Consolidated declared bankruptcy in 1908, AGWI took over Mallory Line and ran it until 1932. The acquisition did not include the Metropolitan Steamship Company or Eastern Steamship Company. In 1934, Mallory merged with Clyde Line to form Clyde-Mallory Line; this entity was sold to Bull Line in 1949 and later ceased operations.

The Mallory family also owned a shipyard located in Mystic, Connecticut, which constructed vessels for the Union Navy during the Civil War. Charles H. Mallory held a seat in the Connecticut Senate in 1862. Henry H. Raymond served as president and general manager for both Clyde and Mallory Lines from 1908 until 1923.

Ports of call for Clyde-Mallory Lines included Jacksonville, New York, Miami, Boston, Wilmington, Charleston, Key West, Galveston, Tampa, New Orleans, and Mobile.

Clyde Line

Operating from 1844 until 1907 under the Clyde Steamship Company—founded by Thomas Clyde in New York in 1872—the Clyde Line serviced routes connecting the northeastern and southeastern United States before extending services to the Dominican Republic and West Indies. By 1908, it operated under the Atlantic, Gulf and West Indies (AGWI) Steamship Company. The 1932 merger with Mallory Line resulted in the Clyde-Mallory Line which continued until 1949. Important ports included New York City, Florida locations, Boston, Providence, Cuba, and New Orleans. Leadership transitioned from founder Thomas Clyde (1812–1885) to his son William P. Clyde until its sale in 1906. The Clyde Santo Domingo Line functioned as a subsidiary offering service between New York and the West Indies.

Porto Rico Line

Established in 1895 through a collaboration between Archibald H. Bull and Juan Ceballos, Porto Rico Line operated as part of the New York and Porto Rico Steamship Company. Bull later founded A. H. Bull and Company. The line provided both cargo and passenger transport between New York’s Red Hook Atlantic Basin Pier 35 and Puerto Rico, facilitating tourism as well as migration from Puerto Rico to New York’s Red Hook area. This company played an essential role in regional commerce and passenger movement within its operational area.

Ward Line

The Ward Line originated in 1877 under the New York and Cuba Mail Steamship Company, initially providing service between New York, Nassau, and Havana. In 1888, the company broadened its reach by acquiring the Alexandre Line, which extended its routes to Mexico's eastern coastline. Charles W. Morse acquired the Ward Line in 1907; however, following the bankruptcy of his firm in 1908, Ward merged with other Morse enterprises to establish the Atlantic, Gulf and West Indies Line (Agwiline), maintaining divisions with separate management. By 1954, the company was rebranded as the Ward-García Line.

Consolidated Steamship Company

Charles W. Morse founded Consolidated Steamship Lines on January 1, 1907, through the consolidation of Mallory Line, Porto Rico Line, Ward Line, Metropolitan Steamship Company, and Eastern Steamship Company. The financial crisis known as the Panic of 1907 precipitated its bankruptcy in 1908. Afterward, Consolidated Steamship was acquired by Atlantic, Gulf and West Indies SS Company (AGWI Inc.), though this transaction excluded the Metropolitan and Eastern Steamship Companies.

World War II

During the Second World War, Agwilines Inc. participated in charter shipping operations coordinated by the Maritime Commission and War Shipping Administration. The firm operated Victory and Liberty ships manned by its own crews alongside U.S. Navy Armed Guards who managed deck armaments and communications systems. Typical weaponry included MK II 20mm Oerlikon autocannons as well as deck guns of various calibers (3"/50, 4"/50, 5"/38), all contributing to vital wartime logistical efforts and underscoring the company's strategic maritime contributions.

Atlantic, Gulf & West Indies Steamship Inc ships

Notable vessels within Atlantic, Gulf & West Indies Steamship Inc’s fleet comprised:

• Satilla (1912), which was sunk by a U-boat in 1917 under the name Hans Kinck
• Agwimoon (1920), lost in 1943 renamed Altair
• Agwihavre (1921), sunk in 1942 as Gulfpenn
• Manata (1916), destroyed in 1937 bearing the name Trym
• Ozama (1919), sank in 1928
• Panuco (1917), damaged by fire while docked in 1941
• Choctaw (1917), sunk in 1945 as Syoka Maru
• Agwipond (1921), lost in 1930 under the name Cities Service Boston
• Agwibay (1921), sunk in 1942 as William F. Humphrey
• Agwisea (1920), sank in 1933

These ships illustrate the company’s broad operational scope and extensive fleet management throughout key maritime regions during the early to mid-1900s.

Clyde Line ships

The Clyde Line operated a diverse fleet including:

• Apache
• Mohawk (1908)
• Lenape (1912)
• Huron (1896)
• Comanche
• Arapahoe
• Cherokee (1925), which was sunk by a U-boat in 1942
• Chippewa (1905), designated for freight only
• Philadelphia (1916)

Clyde Santo Domingo Line ships

This line served passenger and freight routes connecting New York City with prominent Dominican Republic ports such as Monte Cristi, Puerto Plata, Samana, and Santo Domingo City. Principal vessels included:

• Algonquin (1926)
• Iroquois

Mallory Line ships

Among the significant vessels operated by Mallory Line were:

• Comal
• San Jacinto (1903)
• Concho (1903)
• Sabine
• Lampasas
• Alamo
• Medina (1914), later renamed MV Doulos Phos
• Nueces (1887)
• West Cawthon (1919), managed vessel
• City of Houston (1871)

The company also managed several barges including Chas. E. Goin, C. F. Deering, and P. C. Golder, among others.

Porto Rico Line vessels

The Porto Rico Line deployed a variety of ships on its Caribbean routes, including:

• Coamo (1925), lost to a U-boat attack in 1942
• Brazos (1889), torpedoed by a U-boat in 1941
• Carolina, destroyed by a U-boat in 1918
• San Juan (1900)
• San Lorenzo
• Porto Rico
• Ponce
• Borinquen (1930), which sank in 1970
• San Jacinto
• Mariana (1915), sunk by a U-boat in 1942

Ward Line vessels

The Ward Line's passenger steamship fleet featured the following ships:

• (1869) – wrecked in 1870
• (1877)
• (1877)
• (1877)
• (1879)
• (1879)
• (1880)
• (1883)
• (1884)
• (1889)
• (1890)
• (1897) – operated under charter from Red D Line
• SS Havana (1898)
• (1898)
• (1900)
• (1901)
• (1901)
• (1903)
• (1906)
• (1906)
• (1906)
• (1907)
• (1917)
• (1918)
• (1930)
• (1930)
• (1933)
• (1933)
• (1941)

Clyde-Mallory Line vessels

The Clyde-Mallory Line's roster included numerous ships, such as:

• Agwistar (1919)
• Alamo: first launched in 1883, second in 1919
• Ansonia (1919)
• Brazos: initial vessel from 1899, followed by another in 1907
• Carondelet (1873)
• Carib (1882), which sank in 1915
• City of Dallas (1872)
• City of Galveston (1870), lost in sinking during 1876
• City of San Antonio (1872)
• City of Waco (1873)
• Colorado: first built in 1879, second in 1920
• Comal (1885)
• Concho (1891)
• Denver (1901)
• Edward S. Atwood (1911), a tugboat
• Glendaruel (1917)
• Guadalupe (1881)
• Henry R. Mallory (1916)
• Lake Ellithorpe (1919), later sunk as Empire Kestrel
• Lampasas (1883)
• Kiowa (1903), which sank the same year
• Leona (1889)
• Malabar (1914)
• Malacca (1919)
• Malamton (1918)
• Malang (1920)
• Malantic (1918), destroyed by U-boat in 1943
• Malay
• Malchace (1920)
• Mallard (1917)
• Mallemak(1919)
• Malsah(1920)
• Malton(1923)
• Maltran(1920)
• Medina(1914)
• Minotaur(1918), sunk by U-boat in 1943
• (1925)
• Mohican(1904), sank in 1925
• Neches: first vessel from 1914; second from 1919, which sank in 1930
• Norfolk(1916)
• Nueces(1887)
• Ormidale(1917)
• Oneida: built in 1919, lost during a storm in 1943
• Osceola(1920)
• Onondaga: launched in 1905, sunk during World War I in 1918
• Pecos(1899)
• Rio Grande(1876)
• Sabine
• San Jacinto(1903)
• San Marcos(1881)

* San Saba: constructed in 1879, sunk as Magnolia during WWI in 1918    
*  	(1927)
* State of Texas: launched in 1873    

The Swift series comprised several vessels built during the early 1920s, including Swiftarrow, Swifteagle, Swiftlight, Swiftscout, Swiftstar, Swiftsure, and Swiftwind. Some were lost due to sinkings or U-boat attacks between the two World Wars.

World War II fleet

Throughout the Second World War, Agwilines Inc. managed a significant number of chartered ships, prominently featuring Liberty and Victory class vessels. Noteworthy among these were the ships: Anne Bradstreet, Beatrice Victory, and Berwyn Victory, along with others such as the Coastal Archer, and multiple Victory ships including the Durham Victory, and the recently added names like the "Ethiopia Victory" and "Fisk Victory." The company also operated vessels such as the "James Guthrie," "Jeremiah Van Rensselaer"—which was sunk in action during 1943—and "John Harvey." Additional key ships included "Joseph K. Toole," "Louis Pasteur," "Montclair Victory," and "Samuel W. Williston." These ships were instrumental to Agwilines’ wartime logistics efforts and expanded its operational capacity amid global conflict.

Some of the vessels managed during this period were:

* Anne Bradstreet     
* Beatrice Victory     
* Berwyn Victory     
* Coastal Archer     
* Ethiopia Victory     
* Elwin F. Knowles     
* Fisk Victory     
* James Guthrie     
* James Rolph     
* Jeremiah Van Rensselaer – lost to U-boat attack in ’43     
* John Harvey     
* Jonas Lie     
* Joseph K. Toole     
* Louis Pasteur     
* Morris Hillquit     
* Montclair Victory     
* Samuel W. Williston     
* Theodore Parker     
* Trakai      
* Thomas Hill