About Us
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About Us Topics:The President's Message |
When CEIC Opened its Doors in April, 1826...
• The quill pen was the state-of-the-art communication tool
• Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were alive
• The New York Stock Exchange was just 32 years old
Cincinnati, a Frontier Town of 16,000
Cincinnati was an outpost of 16,000 people on the western frontier when a group of local business people decided that they did not want to send their insurance premiums "back east" to Boston or Philadelphia. They started their own insurance company, Cincinnati Equitable.
Oldest Policy in Force Since 1837
Cincinnati Equitable was built on a Benjamin Franklin concept. The customer paid one refundable deposit for a lifetime of coverage. Now known as "Asset One," this coverage is still available today. One policy has been in force since 1837.
Logo Is The Handshake, A Symbol Of Friendship And Good Faith
The logo, originally a firemark, was posted on a customer's property to indicate that coverage was in force. Fire was the greatest peril faced by nineteenth century citizens.
First Public Fire Department in Cincinnati
CEIC was an enthusiastic supporter of the City's efforts to start the first public fire department in the U.S. and to buy a steam-powered fire engine. CEIC's involvement with this community project paid off during the Civil War when Cincinnati, though a target city, remained unscathed.
Policy Books Leave a Historical Trail
Many fine homes insured by Cincinnati Equitable were well-known historical landmarks. Signatures of Taft's, Longworth's and McGuffeys are common among the CEIC policy books, which are archived at the Cincinnati Historical Museum.
During The Civil War, CEIC Fared Well
As a supply center for the Federal Armies of the West, the Queen City was in a potentially dangerous position. Cincinnati's metalworking factories made her an arsenal city. Thanks to its new fire department and its vigilant citizens, fire damage was minimal.
The Nineteenth Century Yawned to a Close
Mutual societies were promoting home ownership; building activity boomed.
This tranquil boom was a mild intoxicant and CEIC found little need for self-appraisal. The open discussion meetings that characterized the invigorating early years became formal reports.
Investments dominated the concerns of the Board of Directors, especially those in the "speculative" stock certificates of railroads and utilities. CEIC made prudent selections.
The Twentieth Century Disturbed This Complacency
New risks raised new issues. What about indemnity against gas explosions when no fire resulted? Other companies were offering this. What about stucco houses? What about the emerging competitive push to insure contents?
Of course, the twentieth century was to bring the biggest change of all: the advent of the automobile and what would become the Company's primary line of business.
The Twenty-First Century and Growing Strong
Today, the Company utilizes state-of-the-art technology to offer homeowners and automobile insurance to customers in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.
Cincinnati Equitable's historical
collection is archived at the Cincinnati
Historical Society Library.
The collection includes policy books that identify nineteenth-century
policyholders and describes their property. It is available for
genealogical and historical research in the Cincinnati area.
