Travelers Insurance Companies

The Travelers Insurance Company was founded in 1863 as an underwriter of property, accident, life and health insurance.

The Atlanta fire of 1917 began at 12:45pm on May 21, 1917, near the corner of Fort Street and Decatur Street. It is believed that the fire was a result of embers blowing in the wind from a fire, which had started at Woodward Avenue and King Street thirty minutes prior. The fire spread quickly due to the overwhelming presence of wood shingle roofs and closely packed shanties downwind. By the time the fire was eventually extinguished at 10:00pm, the Fourth Ward was completely burned. In total, the fire consumed over 300 acres and destroyed 1,983 structures. Of these structures, 1,682 had wood shingle roofs. This prompted the City of Atlanta to pass an ordinance on May 31, 1917, prohibiting wood shingle roofs within the city limits. Among the buildings and homes lost, several churches were destroyed including Grace Methodist Episcopal Church and Westminster Presbyterian Church. Underwriters estimated that the loss of property totaled over $5,000,000. One life was lost due to a heart attack upon seeing her property burned down, but more than 10,000 residents were displaced as a result of the fire.

Travelers Insurance, founded in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1864, offered property and casualty insurance for commercial and residential properties through independent insurance agents and brokers. Two Travelers associated companies in Atlanta in 1917 were Cliff C. Hatcher Insurance Agency and Haas & Company. In 1917, the president of Travelers Insurance was L. F. Butler, and the Manager of Mortgage Land Division was G. B. Newton. In 2011, the company, through a series of mergers and acquisitions, is known as the Travelers Companies, Inc. and is led by C.E.O. Jay S. Fishman. The main predecessor companies comprising the current Travelers Companies, Inc. include the St. Paul Companies, Inc. and Travelers Property Casualty Company.