Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-10-25
HOME INSURANCE.
Rise and Progress of the
Yankt0n Fire Insur-
ance Company.
An Organization Created fol
Dakota Farmers which is
Rapidly Coming to
the From.
q BEGINNING.

THE BEGINNING.
Early in the year 1888 a number O.
1ankton's business men associated
themselves together for the TRANSACTION
OF the business of fire insurance within
the territory of Dakota, and proceeded
to organize for Corporate existence, unde,
the general statute appertainIng thereto
Ihe field presented was one which baG
been lndustriously worked for years BY
outside companies and crude efforts had
been made by local insurance men tc
gain a foothold in that department in.
dustry. Out of the efforts of the Ysnk.
ton men came the
YANKToN FIRE INSURANCE
which was Incorporated on the 23d of
February. 1888, and began its business
career during the succeeding March
Its i~ncorporators were e. 2. Wilcox, @
j. b. Harris, DR.. Joseph Ward, S. Fl.
Gruber, Bartlett Trip, l.. M. Pur.
dy, A. W. Howard and NJ. P. Gilman,
all of Yankton. The capital stock OF the
company vas 800. 900.
On the % of March, 1888, q temporary
organization was effected by the election
OF U. j. b. Harris as president and s. II.
Gruber as secretary. These gentlemen
held their position until the Goth OF the
same month, when the regula. annual
election occurred, which gave TO the new
company its permanent organization
under a board of directors composed of
Governor Newton Edmunds, Captain j,
O. MoVay, L. M. Purdy, E. P. Wilcox,
@. j. B. Harris, DIR. Joseph Ward,
Bartlett Trip, A. W. Howard and NJ.
P. Gilman.
THE FIRST PRESIDENT
of the company was Governor Newton
Edmunds and he has remained from the
beginning the honored head of the or
ganization and is likely to hold that
position indefinitely, as his business
qualities have contributed largely to
the success of the company. J. Parker
Hayward was the first secretary of the
permanent organization.
Fully equipped for business the
Yankton company began its career
early in 1888. The usual difficulties en-
countered in placing q new ~organiza-
ton upon it's feet were the experience
of the Yankton. 1t had entered upon a
field wherein its future customers were
preiudiced in favor of the old establish
ed insurance companies of the states
and the Yankton had first to establish
confidence and create "a reputation for
fair dealing. The chief executive Off
Ger of the company is its secretary.
Upon him devolves the general man
agement of the business and he must
necessarily be an experienced insurance
man and a person of ability and good
Judgment. Between its organization
and the close of its second year of busI-
ness the Yankton had three secretaries
in charge of its affairs Zone of them only
temporarily pending the selection of q
veteran in the business) and while it
progressed fairly 1t did not enter upon q
genuine
BUSINESS COON
until its present secretary, D.. W. G..
Tanner, took the helm. He was APP
pointed to that position February 9Th,
1885, and has since served continually
the business manager of the Yankton.
He brought to the company long ex-
perience in insurance work in the east
and business capacity and excellent
executive ability. Under Mr.. Tanners
dir ection and the good counsel of the
president and board OF directors the
Yankton has grown and thrived and e.
tended its business all over Dakota. 1t
has gained the confidence of the public
by fair dealing and prompt pa qments OF
losses and it seems now that its ulti,
mate transactions will be limited only
by the capacity of the field to yield
business gf this character.
THE WORKING FORCE.
In the home office is Secretary Tanner
and eight clerks, all of whom have ar
abundance of work upon their hands.
The outside field is represented by nj
NJ. Gillett, general agent; W. Warning
ton and Frank d. Gray, assistant gen.
eral agents; nine special district agents
and three hundred and fourteen loca
agents. This is a good showing for {
company not yet four years old.
CLASS OF RISKS.
The Yankton was organized for th
protection of the agricultural classel
and its chief business is with farm
property. 1t has held rigidiy to It'll
original plan and confines its policie
to farm buildings, churches, schoo
houses and detached dwellings in town
and villages. 1t takes DO risks in neigh
borhoods where it may be exposed t.
sweeping losses and confines itself al
most exclusively to the protection of tn
interests of the agricultural classes
This keeps the company all the time i
a condition where it can promptly NEE
it's Losses and renders it's patron
absolutely safe in their investments
The Yankton insures against loss b
fire, lightning and wind and pay
promptly upon proof of loss.
ITS HAIL EXPERIENCE.
During the year 1884 the Yankto
L., 49, nor,oa nj nxuronoa aoains