Claim: Ezra Churchill purchased timberlands, he invested in the development of mines and became a founding investor in the Avon Marine Insurance Company.
Evidence: Not to be content with ships, Ezra purchased timberlands and built sawmills, producing timber and planking for the construction of his ships and lumber for the export trade. With gypsum deposits located nearby in the Windsor area he invested in the development of mines. Owning and operating ships was a risky business and in 1851 he became a founding investor in the Avon Marine Insurance Company.