Greyhound Lines, Inc. is a bus company that operates the largest intercity bus service in North America. It was founded in 1914 by Swedish immigrant Carl Eric Wickman, along with fellow Swedish immigrants Andy Bus Andy Anderson and C. A. A. Arvid Heed. Wickman, a former drill operator at a mine in Alice, Minnesota, started a transportation service after he was unable to sell a Hupmobile car. He began using the car to transport iron ore miners from Hibbing to Alice, Minnesota, for 15 cents per ride. The company expanded rapidly and was renamed the Greyhound Corporation in 1929 or 1930.
What You'll Learn
- Greyhound's founder, Eric Wickman, was a Swedish immigrant who started the company in 1914
- Wickman's first route transported iron ore miners in Hibbing, Minnesota
- By 1918, Wickman's company had 18 vehicles and was known as the Mesaba Transportation Company
- In 1929, the company adopted the Greyhound name and logo
- Greyhound nearly failed after the 1929 stock market crash but survived and went on to acquire smaller bus lines
Greyhound's founder, Eric Wickman, was a Swedish immigrant who started the company in 1914
Greyhound Lines, Inc. is a company that operates the largest intercity bus service in North America. It all started in 1914, when 27-year-old Eric Wickman, a Swedish immigrant, was laid off from his job as a drill operator at a mine in Alice, Minnesota. Wickman, an ambitious young man, soon became a Hupmobile salesman in Hibbing, Minnesota. However, his luck with sales didn't go as planned, and he couldn't sell the first seven-passenger Hupmobile he received. But instead of giving up, Wickman saw an opportunity to turn this challenge into a business venture.
Together with fellow Swedish immigrant Andy "Bus Andy" Anderson and C. A. A. "Arvid" Heed, Wickman decided to utilise his unsold Hupmobile for a different purpose. They began using it to transport iron ore miners between Hibbing and Alice, charging 15 cents per ride. This marked the beginning of Wickman's transportation service, which would eventually become the renowned Greyhound bus company.
Wickman's business endeavour proved successful, and he soon expanded his route to include a 15-mile journey to Nashwauk, Minnesota. In December 1915, he merged his company with that of 19-year-old Ralph Bogan, creating the Mesaba Transportation Company. By 1918, the company boasted 18 vehicles and an annual income of $40,000. Wickman's drive and determination were key factors in the company's early success.
Over the next few years, Wickman continued to play a pivotal role in the company's expansion. In 1922, he formed Northland, which made significant acquisitions, including the purchase of the Superior-White Company. Wickman's business acumen and strategic decisions laid the foundation for what would become one of the most iconic bus companies in the world.
In 1929, the company adopted the iconic "Greyhound" name and began its journey towards becoming a household name in bus transportation. Wickman's legacy is not just that of a Swedish immigrant who founded a successful company but also that of an innovator who revolutionised intercity bus travel in North America.
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Wickman's first route transported iron ore miners in Hibbing, Minnesota
Greyhound Lines, Inc. (Greyhound) is a company that operates the largest intercity bus service in North America. It was founded in 1914 by Eric Wickman, a 27-year-old Swedish immigrant who had been laid off from his job as a drill operator at a mine in Alice, Minnesota. Wickman became a Hupmobile salesman in Hibbing, Minnesota, but when he couldn't sell the first seven-passenger Hupmobile he received, he began using it to transport iron ore miners.
Wickman's first route transported iron ore miners from Hibbing to Alice, Minnesota, a distance of about two miles. The fare was 15 cents for a one-way trip and 25 cents for a round trip. Wickman made $2.25 on his first run. The demand for this car service in Hibbing was high, and Wickman soon brought in partners to help him: fellow Swedish immigrant Andy "Bus Andy" Anderson and C. A. A. "Arvid" Heed.
At the time, most employees walked to their workplaces, and personal automobile ownership was rare. Rail was the preferred mode of passenger transportation, augmented in cities by fixed-line trolleys and streetcars. Bus service was essentially unknown, and in some areas of the United States, horse-drawn stagecoaches were still in use. Wickman's service became one of the earliest examples of intercity busing in the United States.
Hibbing, Minnesota, was a gritty mining town founded in 1893 on the discovery of rich iron deposits. The Hull–Rust–Mahoning Open Pit Iron Mine, established in 1895, was one of the world's first mechanized open-pit mines and supplied as much as one-fourth of all the iron ore mined in the United States during its peak production from World War I through World War II. This output made Minnesota the nation's largest iron ore producer and, in turn, made the U.S. the world's largest steel manufacturer.
The early vehicles used by Wickman and his partners were basic, offering little in terms of comfort and barely providing shelter from the harsh Minnesota winters. Often, their frames were extended to accommodate more passengers. Despite the spartan conditions, Wickman's business took off, and just 15 years after he began transporting miners, it led to the establishment of the multimillion-dollar Greyhound Bus Corporation.
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By 1918, Wickman's company had 18 vehicles and was known as the Mesaba Transportation Company
Greyhound Lines, Inc. is a company that operates the largest intercity bus service in North America. Its history dates back to 1914 when 27-year-old Swedish immigrant Eric Wickman started a transportation service with Andy "Bus Andy" Anderson and C. A. A. "Arvid" Heed. They transported iron ore miners in Hibbing, Minnesota, using a seven-passenger Hupmobile.
Wickman's initial attempt to sell the Hupmobile was unsuccessful, and he struggled to find buyers. However, he noticed a gap in the market for affordable transportation between Hibbing and the nearby town of Alice. On May 9, 1914, Wickman and Anderson placed a sign on the car advertising transportation between the two towns for 15 cents. This venture proved profitable, and they soon established the Hibbing Transportation Company.
In December 1915, Wickman merged his company with that of 19-year-old Ralph Bogan, who operated a similar transportation service from Hibbing to Duluth, Minnesota. This merger formed the Mesaba Transportation Company. By 1918, just three years after Wickman's initial venture, the company had expanded significantly and now boasted 18 vehicles and an annual income of $40,000.
The rapid growth of the company continued, and by the mid-1920s, it was worth several million dollars and had numerous partners. The company expanded its routes and, in 1925, Wickman acquired the White Bus Line. The company continued to evolve, and in 1929, it adopted the iconic name "Greyhound."
The expansion and consolidation of bus lines continued throughout the 1930s, and by 1941, the company had acquired Greyhound Canada. Wickman retired as president of the Greyhound Corporation in 1946 and was succeeded by Orville Caesar.
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In 1929, the company adopted the Greyhound name and logo
Greyhound Lines, Inc. is a company that operates the largest intercity bus service in North America. The company's first route began in Hibbing, Minnesota, in 1914, and in 1929, it adopted the Greyhound name and logo.
The Greyhound name was not new to the company, as its buses were already being referred to as "the greyhounds of the highway" in the 1920s, owing to their grey colour. However, it was only in 1929 that the company officially changed its name to the Greyhound Corporation and adopted the sleek, sprinting dog logo.
The Greyhound name has an interesting origin story. According to company lore, a driver named Ed Stone saw a passing bus reflected in a window and was reminded of a greyhound dog. This anecdote illustrates the company's desire to convey speed and agility with its branding.
The adoption of the Greyhound name and logo was a significant milestone in the company's history, as it marked the beginning of a new era for the bus service. The name change also coincided with a period of expansion for the company, as it continued to acquire smaller bus lines and consolidate its position in the market.
By the end of 1930, more than 100 bus lines had been consolidated into the parent company, which was then known as the Motor Transit Corporation. The name change to Greyhound Corporation helped to create a more memorable and marketable brand for the company, and it continued to build on its success in the following decades.
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Greyhound nearly failed after the 1929 stock market crash but survived and went on to acquire smaller bus lines
Greyhound, the largest intercity bus service in North America, was founded in 1914 by Eric Wickman, a 27-year-old Swedish immigrant. Wickman, who had been laid off from his job as a drill operator at a mine in Alice, Minnesota, became a Hupmobile salesman in Hibbing, Minnesota. After failing to sell a seven-passenger Hupmobile, he began using it to transport iron ore miners between Hibbing and Alice, charging 15 cents per ride.
In the following years, Wickman's business expanded rapidly. In 1915, he added a 15-mile route to Nashwauk, Minnesota, and merged his company with that of Ralph Bogan, forming the Mesaba Transportation Company. By 1918, the company had 18 vehicles and an annual income of $40,000. Wickman continued to expand his business, acquiring several other bus lines and, in 1925, completed the $2.5 million acquisition of eight independent bus lines in Minnesota.
In 1929, the company adopted the Greyhound name and acquired additional interests in Gray Line Worldwide and part of the Colonial Motor Coach Company to form Eastern Greyhound Lines. However, the same year, the stock market crashed, paving the way for the Great Depression of the 1930s. The crash wiped out billions of dollars of wealth, causing many U.S. banks to fail and leading to a surge in unemployment.
Despite the economic crisis, Greyhound survived and continued to acquire smaller bus lines. By 1930, more than 100 bus lines had been consolidated into the parent company, which changed its name to The Greyhound Corporation. Greyhound struggled during the Great Depression, accumulating over $1 million in debt by 1931. However, as the economy improved in the mid-1930s, the company began to prosper again. By 1935, Greyhound was reporting record profits, and in 1936, it began taking delivery of 306 new buses.
Today, Greyhound operates 1,700 coaches, serving 230 stations and 1,700 destinations across North America.
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Frequently asked questions
Greyhound Bus was founded by Swedish immigrant Carl Eric Wickman, along with Andy "Bus Andy" Anderson and C. A. A. "Arvid" Heed.
Greyhound Bus was founded in 1914.
The first route was from Hibbing, Minnesota to Alice, Minnesota.
The bus service was originally intended to transport iron ore miners to and from work.