This advertising poster was produced for Springfield Fire & Marine Insurance Company by Hatch & Co. in New York City. It shows a view of the Board of Trade Building and adjacent buildings in flames. The message is clear. Having fire insurance is essential.
The Springfield Fire and Marine Insurance Co. was founded in 1849 by local businessmen desiring to compete with prosperous Boston and Hartford insurance companies already writing policies for fire and maritime protection. Their growing operation soon expanded beyond Springfield to include the nation’s largest cities and the newly settled West. Springfield Fire & Marine greatly enhanced its own reputation by responding swiftly to losses suffered during notorious fires – the Chicago Fire of 1871 and the Boston Fire of 1872. “The Springfield” under then-Company President A. Willard Damon also made headlines for its speedy response to damages caused by the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. Once located at the corner of Main and Fort Streets, the Company moved to a new building in 1905 located at 195 State Street. Although Springfield Fire & Marine no longer exits, this building was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 and still stands today.
