Lykes Bros. Steamship Co. (also called Lykes Lines), was a U.S.-flagged cargo shipping line that was in business for over 100 years.
Early history
The seven sons of Dr. Howell T. Lykes founded a shipping business on Florida’s Gulf Coast in 1898. Using a 109-foot three-masted schooner, they shipped cattle to Cuba to help replace herds that were killed during the Spanish-American War.
Their tradition of naming the company’s ships after family members dates back to that time; their first schooner...