The Pickands Mather Company was founded in 1883, becoming a major presence in the mining industry and shipment of iron ore. Their company logo is a yin-yang with the colors orange and black with the letters “P” on the orange side and “M” on the black. However, the company flag is designed differently with a red, white, and blue vertically striped rectangular flag with the letters “P” and “M” overlapping one another and “CO” near the bottom, as seen here on this seven-foot rectangular flag. 

In 1913, Pickands Mather formed a subsidiary company, Interlake Steamship Company to meet the transportation needs of the coal and iron ore industries. At this time Interlake became the second-largest fleet on the Great Lakes. In 1973, Pickands Mather Co. became part of Moore McCormack Resources, Inc. Eventually, Interlake Steamship would be sold to a privately held company and P&M iron and coal investments were sold to Cleveland-Cliffs. Eventually, Cliffs sold P&M to a private company. Interlake, Cleveland-Cliffs, and Pickands Mather remain in operation today.