Elizabethtown Insurance Company Records, 1872-1941

Call Number:  MG-684

4 boxes     38 folders     2.5 cubic ft.

Repository:  LancasterHistory (Organization); PV7

Shelving Location:  Archives South, Side 14

Scope and Content Note:  This collection contains documents and record books from the Elizabethtown Insurance Company. Items include records of new policies issued, policies cancelled, reinsurance policies, and books documenting taxes owed to the Elizabethtown Insurance Company. The collection also contains receipt books, personal agent books, and various notes and documents inserted into the lager record books. All documents are handwritten by multiple individuals and some books have missing, or broken spines. Many items are fragile, and caution should be used when turning pages to avoid further tearing and damage.

Creator: Elizabethtown Insurance Company.

Conditions for Access:  No restrictions.

Conditions Governing Reproductions: Collection may not be photocopied. Please contact Research Staff or Archives Staff with questions.

Language:  English

Biographical and Historical Note: The Elizabethtown Insurance Company was formally chartered on December 23, 1843 as Farmers’ Mutual Insurance Company. They started doing business January 31, 1844 and by June 1844 had applications from prospective policy holders for enough insurance to issue their first policy. The company was originally developed to insure against loss or damage by fire, but eventually began insuring other types of property damage. Farmers’ Mutual Insurance Company moved multiple times; finding homes in Lampeter and Conestoga Townships, as well as Lancaster City. The company moved to Elizabethtown in 1925, and in July of 2009, Farmers’ Mutual changed their name to Elizabethtown Insurance Company. In 2011 Elizabethtown Insurance Company stopped accepting new applications, and in 2012, the company relocated to Delaware.

Source of Acquisition:  Gift of Elizabethtown Insurance Company, by Michael Petrelia, President, 19 February 2013

Custodial History (Provenance):

Accruals:  No further accruals are expected.

Preferred Citation:  Elizabethtown Insurance (MG-684), Box #, Folder #, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pa.

Subject Headings:

Elizabethtown (Pa.)

Lancaster (Pa.)

Farmers’ Mutual Insurance Company (Lancaster, Pa.)

Fire insurance. Pennsylvania.

Insurance policies. Pennsylvania.

Insurance companies. Pennsylvania.

Search Terms:

Correspondence

Elizabethtown

Elizabethtown Insurance Men’s Association

F.&M. Hat Co.

Farmers’ Mutual Insurance Company (Lancaster Pa.)

Finding aids

Fire insurance

Insurance companies

Insurance policies

Lancaster

Letters

Lykens Valley Mutual Insurance Company

Manuscript groups

Penn Township Mutual Fire Insurance Company

Postcards

Receipts

Taxes

Related Materials:

MG-65 Griest: William Walton Griest Collection, Series 19 Taxes/Tariffs, 1909-1929

MG-283 Long: Judge Henry G. Long Collection, 1752-1888

Processing History:  Processed and finding aid prepared by RA, March 24, 2015. This collection has been documented, preserved and managed according to professional museum and archives standards. The collection was cataloged using DACS conventions.

 

Box 1

Folder 1 Tax payment receipt booklets. Payments from Henry L. Gise to J. N Oweiler. 1926-1929 .

Folder 2 Tax payment receipt booklets. Payments from Henry L. Gise to J. N Oweiler. 1929-1932.

Folder 3 Tax payment receipt booklets. Payments from Henry L. Gise to J. N Oweiler. 1932-1936.

Folder 4 Harry W. Beare agent book. Includes names of policy holders, address or nearest post office, policy amount, premium, percentage rate, and amount owed or collected. 1911.

Folder 5 H. R. Gibbel agent book. Includes names of policy holders, address or nearest post office, policy amount, premium, percentage rate, and amount owed or collected. 1924, 1926.

Folder 6 John Haldeman agent book. Includes names of policy holders, address or nearest post office, policy amount, premium, percentage rate, and amount owed or collected. No date.

Folder 7 Isaac Herr agent book. Includes names of policy holders, address or nearest post office, policy amount, premium, percentage rate, and amount owed or collected. 1910.

 

Folder 8

Insert 1 H. Reist Landis agent book. Includes names of policy holders, address or nearest post office, policy amount, premium, percentage rate, and amount owed or collected. 1922-1923.

Insert 2 Statement to E. R. Zartman for payment of $20.86 due to H. Reist Landis on November 1, 1923. 1923.

Statement to A. W. Miller for payment of $13.44 due to H. Reist Landis on November 1, 1923. 1923.

Note from H. Reist Landis detailing his final settlement for collection. 14 November 1923.

 

Folder 9 Agent book with no name, as well as agent books belonging to B. E. Leaman, and C. H. Miller. Includes names of policy holders, address or nearest post office, policy amount, premium, percentage rate, and amount owed or collected. 1922-1923.

Folder 10 Agent books for J. M. Trout. Includes names of policy holders, address or nearest post office, policy amount, premium, percentage rate, and amount owed or collected. 1915.

Folder 11 B. H. Snavely treasurer book. Includes bank ledger for Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Company. 1913-1917.

Folder 12 Isaac R. Herr secretary book. Includes record of policy holder tax payments. 1912-1914.

Folder 13  Isaac R. Herr secretary book. Includes record of policy holder tax payments. 1914-1916.

Folder 14 Isaac R. Herr secretary book. Includes record of policy holder tax payments.  1916-1919.

 

Folder 15

Insert 1 Book containing Elizabethtown Insurance Men’s Association constitution and bylaws, meeting minutes, and meeting attendance lists. No date.

Insert 2 Items inserted in front cover of book mentioned above. Includes order form for Elizabethtown Herald, Book and Job Printing- Linotype Composition; tax statement for G. Walter Dulebohn; small lined paper with meeting minutes; and meeting minutes for meeting held on 2 January 1917, written on the back of a 1916 vehicle registration form. 1916-1917.

 

Box 2

Folder 16 Fire tax record book. Includes lists of policy holders as well as their policy numbers, insurance amount, address, interest rate, and tax owed. 1911.

 

Folder 17

Insert 1 Postcards from Farmers’ Mutual Insurance Company to Susan E. Miller and Mr. Reilly regarding their taxes owed. Postcards were inserted into the front cover of the 1912-1913 tax book. 16 November 1912, 2 January 1913.

Insert 2 Fire tax record book. Includes lists of policy holders as well as their policy numbers, insurance amount, address, interest rate, and tax owed. 1912-1913.

 

Folder 18 Fire tax record book. Includes lists of policy holders as well as their policy numbers, insurance amount, address, interest rate, and tax owed. 1913.

Folder 19 Fire tax record book. Includes lists of policy holders as well as their policy numbers, insurance amount, address, interest rate, and tax owed. 1914.

Folder 20 Fire tax record book. Includes lists of policy holders as well as their policy numbers, insurance amount, address, interest rate, and tax owed. 1915.

 

Folder 21

Insert 1 Lists of unpaid 1917 taxes. Inserted into front cover of 1917-1918 tax book. Includes policy holders, as well as their policy  numbers, address, and amount owed. 1917.

Insert 2 Handwritten notes regarding  policy holders, policies, and amounts collected. Inserted into back cover of 1917-1918 tax book. No date.

Insert 3 Letters from H. G. Shimp, Justice of the Peace, to Henry L. Gise of Elizabethtown regarding an application for insurance for the Denver House, and insurance policy information for F. & M. Hat Co. Inserted in back cover of 1917-1918 tax book. 1918.

Insert 4 List titled “City”. List shows individual names, addresses, and a dollar amount. Inserted between paged 66 and 67 in 1917-1918 tax book. No date.

Insert 5 Tax record book. Includes lists of policy holders as well as their policy numbers, insurance amount, address, interest rate, and tax owed. 1917.

 

Folder 22

Insert 1 Documents inserted in front cover of 1919-1921 tax book. Includes handwritten list, invitation from the Ladies Bible class in Elizabethtown, PA, letter from the Farmers’ Mutual Insurance Company Board of Directors to policy holders, and typed tally of 1918 tax amounts. 1918.

Insert 2 Comparative statement of insurance written and cancelled for the years 1917, 1918, 1919, and 1920. Inserted in page 11 of 1919-1921 tax book. No date.

Insert 3 Handwritten note inserted in page 20 of 1919-1921 tax book. No date.

Insert 4 Handwritten note inserted in page 27 of 1919-1921 tax nook. No date.

Insert 5 Typed list titled “County” as well as handwritten note inserted in page 46 of 1919-1921 tax book. 3 May 1920.

Insert 6 Handwritten note regarding policy payment. Inserted in page 49 of 1919-1921 tax book. 1921.

Insert 7 Documents inserted in page 54 of 1919-1921 tax book. Includes letter from John Haldeman to Farmers’ Mutual Insurance Company. 7 April 1919.

Insert 8 Payment receipt inserted in page 66 of 1919-1921 tax book. 15 October 1921.

Insert 9 Handwritten note regarding money owed for a policy on a car that had been sold. Inserted in page 89 of 1919-1921 tax book. No date.

Insert 10 Tally sheets of taxes paid in 1919 and 1920. Include handwritten notes. 1919-1920.

 

Folder 23 Tax record book. Includes lists of policy holders as well as their policy numbers, insurance amount, address, interest rate, and tax owed. 1919-1921.

 

Folder 24

Insert 1 Business card and with handwritten note inserted in front cover of 1922-1923 tax book. No date.

Insert 2 ax record book. Includes lists of policy holders as well as their policy numbers, insurance amount, address, interest rate, and tax owed. 1922-1923.

 

Folder 25

Insert 1Handwritten note inserted in front cover of 1925 tax book. No date.

Insert 2 Form letters regarding documents to be signed. Inserted between pages 42 and 43 in 1925 tax book. 28 December 1923.

Insert 3 Tax record book. Includes lists of policy holders as well as their policy numbers, insurance amount, address, interest rate, and tax owed. 1925.

 

Folder 26 Tax record book. Includes lists of policy holders as well as their policy numbers, insurance amount, address, interest rate, and tax owed. 1929-1932.

Folder 27 Tax record book. Includes lists of policy holders as well as their policy numbers, insurance amount, address, interest rate, and tax owed. 1933-1936.

 

Box 3

Folder 28 Tax record book. Includes lists of policy holders as well as their policy numbers, insurance amount, address, interest rate, and tax owed. 1936-1938.

Folder 29 Farmers’ Insurance Company receipts book. Includes records of payments made to the Farmers’ Insurance Company, as well as a list of Farmers’ Insurance Company agents. 1921-1925.

Folder 30 Farmers’ Insurance Company receipts book. Includes records of payments made to the Farmers’ Insurance Company. 1929-1941.

 

Folder 31

Insert 1 Cash policies record book. Includes record of polices and payments. (Spine detached) 1926-1934.

Insert 2 Handwritten list of policy owners and their amounts owed. No date.

 

Folder 32 Policy cancellation record. Includes policy number, holder name and address, date cancelled, and reason for cancellation. 1922-1934.

 

Folder 33

Insert 1 Reinsurance record book. Includes policy holder name, former insurance company, expiration date, policy amount, annual percentage rate, and new Farmers’ Mutual policy number. 1926-1933.

Insert 2 Documents inserted between pages 4 and 5 of reinsurance book. Includes letter to Henry L. Gise from J. N. Brandt, as well as pro rata tax documents. 1932.

Insert 3 Documents inserted between pages 18 and 19 of reinsurance book. Includes letter from Henry L Guise to all Farmers’ Mutual policy owners, as well as a hand-written note. 1924-1926.

Insert 4 Documents inserted between pages 34 and 35 of reinsurance book. Includes commission summary from Farmers’ Mutual to Penn Township Mutual Fire Insurance Company. 13 December 1930.

Insert 5 Documents inserted in back cover of reinsurance book. Includes letters to Farmers’ Mutual regarding policy holders. 1926,1930.

Insert 6 Documents inserted in back cover of reinsurance book. Includes correspondence regarding policy summaries between Farmers’ Mutual/Elizabethtown Insurance Company and other insurance companies. No date.

 

Box 4 

Folder 34

Insert 1 New Policy Book. Includes policy number, policy holder name, date of insurance, amount of insurance, and a brief description and value of the property insured. This books also contains the signatures of auditors and new policy holders, as well as legal disclaimers and agreements. 1872-1912.

Insert 2 Lists of reinsurance from Lykens Valley Mutual, inserted in front cover of 1872-1912 new policies book. No date.

Insert 3 Calculations for amount owed to policy holder, inserted between pages 98 and 99 of 1872-1912 new policies book. No date.

 

Folder 35 Book of new policies issues and policies increased. Includes policy number, policy holder name, date of insurance, amount of insurance, and a brief description and value of the property insured. 1880-1905.

Folder 36 New policies book. Includes policy number, policy holder name, date of insurance, amount of insurance, and a brief description and value of the property insured. Marked “New Policies for 1912- Pg 400” on front cover, pages 1-399 are undated, and policies are listed alphabetically by policy holder’s last name. 1912.

Folder 37 New policies book Includes policy number, policy holder name, date of insurance, amount of insurance, and a brief description and value of the property insured. 1914-1930.

Folder 38 Documents inserted in front cover of 1914-1930 new policies book. Includes one page of a typed affidavit of defense for Christ Martin, the defendant in the case H.A. Gantert vs. Christ Martin, as well as a handwritten list of cash insurance policies. 1913-1926.