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Company History
Tuscarora-Wayne Insurance Company traces its roots to a thunderstorm on Spring Hill, Pennsylvania, over a century ago.
The story goes that in the early 1870's an insurance agent was traveling from farm to farm in the Spring Hill area, attempting to sell specialized farm insurance policies. Word has it the stranger didn't sell much insurance; however, after his departure some of the locals started thinking farm insurance might not be such a bad idea.
John Black, in particular, thought such coverage had plenty of merit, but he was convinced the farmers themselves should be their own insurers. On a hot summer afternoon, Black and William Shumway are said to have taken shelter in Shumway's barn during a thunderstorm and hashed out the basic ingredients of a plan. In 1874 they were able to raise $50,000 and obtain a charter for the Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Tuscarora.
William Shumway was the Company's first President, with Archie Sumner serving as the original Secretary. As for Black, the man whose seed of an idea had germinated into a company, he was the first agent--the man who sold the policies and handled the day-to-day business.
The office was, for many years, at the Spring Hill home of Roy Blocher. In 1953 the company began construction of what was the first phase of its current home on Wyalusing's State Street. The Company continued to operate under the original name until June of 1953 when the word "fire" was dropped.
In 1963 the Company acquired the Susquehanna Grange Mutual Insurance Company of New Milford, PA and the Abington Mutual Fire Insurance Association of Clarks Green, PA. At this time the Company name was changed to Tuscarora Mutual Insurance Company.
In 1969 merger occurred between Tuscarora Mutual and Main, Beaver and Black Creek Mutual Fire and Storm Insurance Company of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania.
In 1973 a consolidation occurred between Tuscarora Mutual and Wayne County Farmers Mutual Insurance Company of Honesdale, Pennsylvania. Subsequently, the Company's name was changed to Tuscarora-Wayne Mutual Insurance Company.
In 1986 Tioga Mutual Insurance Company, Mansfield, Pennsylvania was absorbed via a reinsurance and assumption agreement.
In 1994 Penn Central Mutual Insurance Company, Loganton, Pennsylvania, was acquired through reinsurance assumption. The former Penn Central office continues operations as a branch office of Tuscarora Wayne.
In 2000 Washington Mutual Fire and Storm Insurance Company, Falls Creek, Pennsylvania, affiliated with the Company through acquisition by control of the board of directors and shares a common board of directors with the Tuscarora Wayne Group of Companies.
In 2004 Keystone National Insurance Company was formed and is owned by Tuscarora Wayne Insurance Company and Keystone Capital Investors, LLC. Keystone National is a licensed property and casualty, stock insurance company.
In 2006 Tuscarora Wayne Partners, Inc. is an insurance agency licensed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Insurance Department. This agency provides products and programs to producers that the licensed insurance companies may not write.
In 2009 the policyholders of Tuscarora-Wayne Mutual Insurance Company and Washington Mutual Fire and Storm Insurance Company voted in favor of partial conversions to stock insurance companies, and the company names were changed to Tuscarora Wayne Insurance Company and Washington Fire and Storm Insurance Company, respectively. As a result of the conversions, the companies formed Tuscarora Wayne Mututal Group, Inc., a mutual holding company and the Tuscarora Wayne Group, Inc., a stock holding company.
The Tuscarora Wayne Mutual Group Inc., Tuscarora Wayne Group, Inc., Tuscarora Wayne Insurance Company, Tuscarora Wayne Partners, Inc. and Keystone National Insurance Company comprise the Tuscarora Wayne Group of Companies.
19 1/2' X 4 1/2' Oil on Linen Mural by Brian Keeler. Located in the company's Wyalusing office board room.
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