The line developed with railroad support as an offshoot of Bernard N. Baker's Baltimore Storage and Lighterage Company in 1881.

General cargo, live cattle and small numbers of passengers were carried from Baltimore and Philadelphia to British ports and the line developed an excellent reputation for shipping valuable horses.

The line survived this potentially devastating blow because Baker pulled off a sensational deal and bought a British competitor's five brand new ships almost immediately as replacements.

The Atlantic Transport Company of West Virginia was formed at this time to assert American ownership of the line's overseas assets.

Baker's attempt to sell the line to British owners in the late 1890s sparked the chain of events that lead to the formation of the IMM.