Born in March, 1884 in Owosso to Richard and Mary Phillips. Cora married Wayne Taylor and together founded in 1910 a jitney service in Owosso which later became Indian Trails Bus Lines.
Cora was the first women in the United States to obtain a commercial chauffeur's license, which was dated April 19, 1914. Similar to the badge below.
The 1914 era bus below was ahead of it's time with cushioned seats and hot bricks to keep your feet warm during those cold Michigan winter months. Chassis looks like a Reo or ?.
January 1939
A student of Michigan history, Cora Taylor researched some 65 native Indian Chiefs and began the tradition of "christening" each coach in honor of a native Michigan Chief. The tradition continues to this day, with each Indian Trails coach proudly bearing the name of one of the founders of the Indian trail.
Bus Name...........Number
The Chief...........#103
APAKOSIGAN..........#288
ASAGON..............#281
BABOQUAH............#310
BABUBUS.............
BI-AUS-WAH..........#307
BLACK HAWK..........#306
BLACK HOOF..........#305
CAYASHUTA...........#058
CHEBAINSE...........#062
CHEE-A-NIN-NEE......#287
CHEEMOTOSH..........#311
CHEOGEMAW...........#291
CROW................#271
DOWAGIAC............#314
ELSKWATAWA..........
ESH-TAH-HUM-LEAH....#302
ISHPEMING...........
KAN-AP-IMA..........#061
KECHOMONEDO.........#289
KISHKAWKO...........#282
KOUTAOUILIBOE.......#267
LE MAGOUIS..........#290
LE MAIN PAQUE.......#059
MAKITOQUET..........#284
MANDOKA.............#295
MANITON.............#042
MIKISABIE...........#054
MINAVAVANA..........#301
MOA-NA-HON-GA.......#300
MONJAHE.............
MUCKEMOOT...........#262
NABABISH............#263
NAIWASH.............#294
NAW-KAW.............#041
NEEKIGG.............#313
NEESAWKEE...........
NEEWISH.............#258
NEOME...............#056
NIAUEGA.............#268
NOONDAY.............#043
NOT-CHI-MI-NE.......#060
OGEMAWKEKETO........#269
OKEE-MAKEE-QUID.....#312
OKEMOS..............#272
ONTAWA..............#292
ORONTONY............#297
OUILAMEK............#264
POKAGON.............#308
PONTIAC.............#273
PORTABEEK...........#280
SAGAMAW.............#296
SAGUINA.............#277
SAMOKA..............
SHANOE..............#298
SHERMANETO..........#055
SHINGABAWASSIN......#309
SHINGWAUK...........#283
TECUMSEH............#039
THAYENDANEGEA.......#293
TON-DO-GONG.........#276
WABOJEEG............#303
WAISHKEY............#278
WA-JAH-TO-SHA.......#
WA-NA-TA............#304
WA-PEL-LA...........#265
WASSO...............#270
WENAWE..............#057
WHITE LOCK..........#279
WHITE PIGEON........#040
WINTAGOWISH.........#132
WY-MEE-GONG.........#285
WY-WEE-NA-CAM.......
The above photo was taken in 1939 and according to local papers, 6 of these buses were put into operation that year at a cost of $18,000 each.
This company is one of the oldest bus lines in the United States.
The photo above shows a 12 volt coin/token machine that was made by the Johnson Fare Box Co. and used in the Owosso-Flint Bus Line. And a fare token.
Hat Badge from the 1930's
Below....GM Coach from the 1950's
Below......1966 GM coach named Chief Wasso.
The coach that was named 'The Chief'
was always the flagship of the
Indian Trails fleet.
Indian Trails bus service in the 1960's included about 800 miles of highway each day. Routes listed Detroit north to Port Austin and Bay City to Chicago including stops at Saginaw, Flint, Owosso, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, South Bend, Indiana and Chicago.
