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The Founding of Travelers
In 1864, Hartford businessman James G. Batterson met a local banker, James E. Bolter, in the post office. Bolter had heard that Batterson and several fellow townsmen were organizing a company to introduce accident insurance to the United States. He asked Batterson how much he would charge to insure him for his four-block walk home. “Two cents,” Batterson said.
Today, that two-cent “premium” is a souvenir treasured by Travelers. Batterson served as president of Travelers from our founding on April 1, 1864, until his death in 1901.
The Founding of The St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company
After recognizing the need for a local insurance company to deal with the increasing threat of fire, Alexander Wilkin, secretary of the Minnesota Territory, and 16 other St. Paul businessmen established the St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company. The company paid its first claim in 1855 after a fire spread from a bakery to an adjacent row of offices.
In 1968, St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company formed The St. Paul Companies, Inc.
Our Joint History
The St. Paul and Travelers merged on April 1, 2004, to form one of the largest property casualty insurers and financial services firms: The St. Paul Travelers Companies, Inc.
In February 2007, we changed our name to The Travelers Companies, Inc.
Who We Are
We are an insurance company that cares. Travelers takes on the risk and provides the coverage you need to protect the things that are important to you – your home, your car, your valuables and your business – so you don’t have to worry. We have been around for more than 160 years and have earned a reputation as one of the best property casualty insurers in the industry because we take care of our customers. Our expertise and focus on innovation have made us a leader in personal, business and specialty insurance and the only property casualty company in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Every day, our approximately 30,000 employees and more than 20,000 independent agents and brokers in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Brazil help provide peace of mind so our customers can reach higher and achieve more.