Joy Steamship Company
Encyclopedia
The Joy Steamship Company (also the Joy Line) was an independent steamship line operating in the Long Island Sound
in the early decades of the 20th century. It was named for its owner Allan Joy.
Founded in 1899, the Joy Line initially competed with the New Haven Railroad for transport between New York City and the ports of New England
. By 1902, the New Haven had pressured other steamship lines not to lease their ships to the Joy (for example, by offering free annual passes along their rail to captains refusing Joy offers) and offered to carry American Sugar
for almost nothing rather than allow the Joy to benefit from its traffic. In consequence, the Joy was forced to a traffic agreement, raising its rates to equivalence with the railroad's and limiting itself to local trade between New York and Providence, Rhode Island
. The entrance of the Enterprise Line along the same route led the New Haven to purchase the Joy Line in December, 1905. The competition featured in the antitrust
case against the New Haven in 1915.
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
in the early decades of the 20th century. It was named for its owner Allan Joy.
Founded in 1899, the Joy Line initially competed with the New Haven Railroad for transport between New York City and the ports of New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
. By 1902, the New Haven had pressured other steamship lines not to lease their ships to the Joy (for example, by offering free annual passes along their rail to captains refusing Joy offers) and offered to carry American Sugar
American Sugar Refining Company
The American Sugar Refining Company was the largest American business unit in the sugar refining industry in the early 1900s.-Establishment:...
for almost nothing rather than allow the Joy to benefit from its traffic. In consequence, the Joy was forced to a traffic agreement, raising its rates to equivalence with the railroad's and limiting itself to local trade between New York and Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
. The entrance of the Enterprise Line along the same route led the New Haven to purchase the Joy Line in December, 1905. The competition featured in the antitrust
Sherman Antitrust Act
The Sherman Antitrust Act requires the United States federal government to investigate and pursue trusts, companies, and organizations suspected of violating the Act. It was the first Federal statute to limit cartels and monopolies, and today still forms the basis for most antitrust litigation by...
case against the New Haven in 1915.
Ships of the Joy Line
- SS Aransas (purchased from the S. Pacific SS Co.)
- SS Martinique (leased from the Florida E. Coast Co.)
- SS City of Key West
- SS Tennessee