WARNING: Nerdy #history post.
Our agency was founded in 1904, which means Stolly Insurance Group turns 120 years old in 2024. That is certainly a long-time, and impressively we're still privately owned by the same family who started our group 5 generations ago.
But that got me to thinking, what is the oldest continuously operated business in the state of #Ohio?
It's a #hotel / #restaurant in Lebanon Ohio called Golden Lamb that was founded the same year Ohio became a state, 1803! A gentleman named Jonas Seaman came from New Jersey and started the business in the newly-founded village.
According to their website, "Golden Lamb has hosted, entertained and provided lodging for many notable guests, including 12 U.S. presidents; political figures Barbara Bush, Mitt Romney, and Henry Clay; American legend Neil Armstrong; literary greats Charles Dickens, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Alex Haley, James Whitcomb Riley, Louis Bromfield and Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain); movie star Charles Laughton; and pop singer Kesha."
Very impressive indeed.
So, that begs the question: What is the oldest continuously operated business in the United States?
We have to go to the great state of #Virginia for that one, and it's called Shirley Plantation, established all the way back in 1638! That's nearly a century and a half before the United States was even a country.
Amazingly Shirley is still an active family farm and is home to the 11th and 12th generations of the Hill-Carter family.
Alright, what about the oldest continuously operated business in the entire #world?
That honor goes to Kongō Gumi, a #Japanese #construction company founded in the year 578 A.D. We're talking nearly a millennium and a half ago!
According to #Wikipedia the company mainly works on the design, construction, restoration, and repair of shrines, temples, castles, and cultural heritage buildings. And they pioneered the use of #CAD for temple design.
The company did fall on hard times and went into liquidation in January 2006, and was purchased by the Takamatsu Construction Group. The last president was Masakazu Kongō, the 40th Kongō to lead the firm. Despite the sale, they still operate as a fully owned subsidiary and are an ongoing concern.
Anyway, I hope our #agency can continue to stand the test of time and leave a lasting legacy for future generations.
Does your company have an interesting history? Please share in the comments.
P.S. - Shout out to Mark Pierce, the author of this article: https://lnkd.in/g4j-dDEd.
#insurance #history #nerd #lookingoutforyousince1904
Happy 4th of July!