Cage 23 Guide to the Inland Fire Insurance Company Records 1907-1908 Inland Fire Insurance Company Records Finding aid prepared by Lawrence R. Stark Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections © 2012
Pullman, WA 99164-5610 USA (509) 335-6691 http://www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/masc/ mascref@wsu.edu
Finding aid encoded by Mark O'English 2003 Finding aid written in English. Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Pullman, WA 99164-5610 USA (509) 335-6691 http://www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/masc/ mascref@wsu.edu
Cage 23 Inland Fire Insurance Company Inland Fire Insurance Company Records 1907-1908 17 containers. .8 linear feet of shelf space. Correspondence (1907), vouchers, checks, policy registers, account books, and policy certificates surrendered for claims upon failure of the firm. Included are records from a closely related firm, the Idaho Mutual Cooperative Insurance Company of Boise, Idaho, both under the management of Edward C. Arnold, secretary. Collection materials are in English

The Inland Fire Insurance Company was organized at Spokane, Washington in early 1907 and operated for approximately one and a half years. In the insurance parlance of its day, it was known as a "Lloyd's" company. That is, it was neither a stock, nor a mutual firm. It was an extended partnership, "capitalized" by a "guarantee fund" which was subscribed for, but not paid-in, by a number of subscribers who were not necessarily policyholders and who were to be liable for assessment should the company need funds to pay fire loss claims.

The Inland Fire Insurance Company wrote most of its policies in the Inland Empire region, but did considerable business in Western Washington and in California. The company was also licensed in several other states and maintained general agency contracts in New York and Chicago for the placement of "surplus line" policies. The company records include some material from a closely related firm, the Idaho Mutual Cooperative Insurance Company of Boise, both firms having been under the management of Edward C. Arnold.

Correspondence (1907), vouchers, checks, policy registers, account books, and policy certificates surrendered for claims upon failure of the firm. Included are records from a closely related firm, the Idaho Mutual Cooperative Insurance Company of Boise, Idaho, both under the management of Edward C. Arnold, secretary.

This collection is open for research use.

[Item Description]. Cage 23, Guide to the Inland Fire Insurance Company Records. Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Arnold, Edward C. Inland Fire Insurance Company --Archives Insurance companies--Washington (State)--Spokane--Records and correspondence Insurance companies--Idaho--Boise--Records and correspondence Idaho Mutual Cooperative Insurance Company Business, Industry, and Labor Washington (State)

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Series 1: Correspondence 1907

The extant correspondence of the company consists of 11 folders of letters dating from March through November, 1907. Although the letters have been removed from their original folders, the original working order has been retained.

 1 1 Lobe & Brown, agents at Bellingham 1 1 Silas Holcomb, agent at Seattle 1 2 Roe and Durkinfield, special agents 1 3 M-P alphabetical (Agents, policyholders suppliers, etc.) 1 4 Lebo-Anderson, general agents, Chicago 1 5 Hull Bros., general agents for North Idaho 1 6 C's alphabetical 1 6 Pacific Fire Insurance Company, Seattle (re-insurance) 2 7 H. Durkinfield, Special Agent Seattle 2 8 R-W alphabetical 2 9 B-G alphabetical 2 10 Idaho Mutual Cooperative Insurance Co. 2 11 S.L. Wait, Special Agent, Kettle Falls, Washington 2 11 B-H alphabetical 2 12 Whilden & Hancock, general agents, New York 2 12 Fred Tibbens, general agent, California 3-8 Series 2: Policies, Reports, and Certificates 1400 items.

Policies and daily reports for Inland Fire Insurance policies and policies of various re-insuring firms, especially the Ohio German Fire Insurance Company, Pacific Fire Insurance Company and La Concorde: Societe d'Assurance Centre l'Incendie. Some correspondence attached.

 9-11 Series 3: Checks, vouchers and forms 1000 items.

Canceled checks, pay vouchers, miscellaneous report forms, cancellation forms, and loss claims.

 Series 4: Ledgers 12 Policy Register 13 Policy Register 14 Journal 15 Checkbook 16 Accountant report and audit of December 31, 1907, with correspondence, April, 1908, relative to dissolution of company. 1907-1908 17 Agents' Register Series 5: Later Addition, added February, 1975 18 Voucher Index