Stinson A (tri-motor) (Marquette)

8 seats • 160 mph

Marquette’s Stinson A wore the original American Airlines blue and orange color scheme with the addition of the Marquette winged logo on the aft fuselage.

Stinson A Trimotor

In January 1938, Midwest Airlines was formed in St. Louis. The name was changed almost immediately to Marquette Air Lines (named after a French missionary-explorer of Upper Michigan) and it promptly leased four Stinson Model A tri-motors from American Airlines. It began service on 20 April of that year under Mail Contract AM 58 on a route St Louis- Cincinnati-Dayton-Toledo-Detroit.

Important Route Extension

Within a few months, the directors approved the purchase of the stock by T. W.A. which leased the route from 14 August 1940. The Civil Aeronautics Board delayed giving the takeover its blessing for two years, but the purchase was completed on 5 December 1941. The 564-mile route, which gave T. W.A. an important link from Detroit to its transcontinental trunk line, cost $350,000.