The Hastings Banner — Thursday, May 11, 2023 — Page 7Company is now organized on a state-wide basis
M.L. Cook
Banner Oct. 9, 1941
The beautiful, stately two-story brick
building on the southwest corner of Broad-
way and State, with its fine setting, impresses
one as a well-planned, well-built structure.
That impression will be increased if one
will visit the convenient, well-appointed
rooms where officers supervise a big busi-
ness, represented by $918,665,761 of insur-
ance and 747 agents in the field. There are
also the work rooms, where a busy clerical
force looks after the details; there are also
preserved the priceless records.
THE ‘HASTINGS COMPANY’
This building and the lot are now carried
on the books at $30,782. But it would take
more than $200,000 to duplicate it with its
furnishings and equipment at present day
costs of labor and materials. This is the home
of the Michigan Mutual Windstorm Insur-
ance company, the largest of its kind in this
state, and the second largest in the United
States. This company now has $918,665,
of insurance, all of which, under the mutual
plan, becomes its assessable capital. It paid
losses during 1955 of $562,431. After paying
these in full, the company had more than
$4,815,000 and securities on hand. It is now
collecting its regular yearly assessment of 15
cents on each $100.00 of insurance.
Its receipts from this company made the
Hastings post office an office of the first
class. Outside of Barry County, it is often
referred to as the “Hastings Company,” and
this city can hardly complain about that, you
will admit. And this question naturally fol-
lows: “How did Hastings get it?” The writer
believes he is in a position to answer that
query, for he was in on the birth of this com-
pany, and can speak with some authority on
that subject.
MR. ROGER’S IDEA
Usually, there is some one person who is
largely responsible for launching such an
enterprise. That was true in this case, and his
name was Daniel Webster Rogers, though
everyone called him Wed, and he stood for it.
He was born in Carlton Township and lived
on a farm until he moved to Hastings in 1876
after he was elected secretary of the Barry &
Eaton First Insurance company.
The Windstorm Co. was first an idea that
came to D.W. Rogers while he was acting as
secretary of the Barry & Eaton Mutual Fire
Insurance company. It was born in his office,
which was the rear room upstairs, over what
was then known as Grant’s store, now occu-
pied by Beverwyk’s Paint & Wallpaper store
at 237 W. State. The front offices upstairs
were, after January 1, 1877, the probate office
of Barry County. Clement Smith was elected
probate judge in 1876, re-elected in 1880.
When his term expired Dec. 31, 1884, Judge
Smith continued his law office in the same
place for a time.
Before his election as probate judge, Mr.
Smith had practiced law in Nashville for sev-
eral years. While living there, he was made
the secretary of the Barry & Eaton Fire Insur-
ance company and was a very successful
officer. He was a worker, very methodical,
accurate, and knew all the details of that com-
pany’s business. Judge Smith and his succes-sor, D.W. Rogers, were warm personal
friends. Mr. Rogers, who had always lived on
a farm, had much to learn about this new
office. He naturally and wisely secured an
office next to Judge Smith’s, where he could
consult him about the details, which he later
mastered thoroughly.
PROPERTY DESTROYED
How did Mr. Rogers come to think of start-
ing a windstorm insurance company? There
were two very good reasons; for two cyclones
visited Barry and Eaton counties, the first
early in October 1880, and the second in
March 1882. Both destroyed much property
and livestock in the two counties. The losers
had to stand all their losses, paying the cost of
new buildings and other destroyed property
out of their own pockets. It was a severe blow
to many of them. It was natural that the secre-
tary of a mutual company would think there
should be a mutual company to insure proper-
ty owners against windstorm losses. But D.W.
Rogers not only thought about it, as probably
others did, but he did something about it.
First, Mr. Rogers looked up the insurance
laws of Michigan and then found that there
was no law then that would permit a mutual
windstorm company to operate in that state.
He knew that Iowa had many more cyclones
than Michigan, so he got in touch with its
insurance department and learned that Iowa
had a mutual cyclone insurance company. He
secured copies of its incorporation, charter,
by-laws, also of its policies, applications and
other blanks. Mr. Rogers was a man who took
time to think over any matter he deemed of
importance. He did not rush this one but
thought it through. When he believed he had
given his plans for starting such a company in
Michigan the consideration they merited, he
next consulted Judge Smith and outlined his
plans. His lawyer friend gave valuable aid in
framing a law that would permit mutual wind-
storm insurance in this state, also in shaping a
charter, by-laws, policies, and the other blanks
needed to launch this new type of mutual
insurance in Michigan. The two kept the mat-
ter “under their hats” for a long time, for they
wished to have the new company started right
and to be the first one in this state.
SUPPLEMENT SALARIES
After having made thorough preparations
for the launching of this new enterprise, the
next step was the actual start. Mr. Rogers had
planned to use the same personnel as the
Barry & Eaton for officers and a majority of
the directors. His reasons for so doing were
that they were good men, thoroughly sold on
mutual insurance, and were well-known in
the two counties where they would begin
actual work in selling this new (in Michigan)
type of insurance. He also realized that it
would take several years for the new compa-
ny to secure enough insurance to pay reason-
able salaries. What little the new company
could pay on the start would add something
to what they were getting from the Barry &
Eaton; so they would feel that they could
afford to work for the new company. This
would keep the salary expense on the start at
the minimum, which was very desirable. So it
was agreed among the charter members –
nearly all of whom were from Barry and
Eaton counties – that Selah W. Maps and C.E.
Chappell of Eaton County and D.W. Rogers
of Barry County, who were president, treasur-er and secretary of the Barry & Eaton, would
hold the same offices in the new company.
Sixty persons were charter members of
the “Michigan Mutual Tornado and Wind-
storm Insurance company.” Of these, 31
were from Barry County, one each from
Allegan and Ionia, and the others were
Eaton County men. Of the Barry County
signers of that document 56 years ago, M.L.
Cook was the last to survive.
CHARTERED IN 1885
The charter was granted by the state April
5, 1885. Progress was slow for a few years.
Then the business grew rapidly, especially in
years when twisters invaded Michigan. Pres-
idents and treasurers of the company changed,
but Secretary Rogers continued in that office
for 33 years. It was felt that his work in start-
ing the company deserved that consideration.
The company built its first office building
at the corner of Center and Jefferson streets.
The business thereafter grew more rapidly
than the officers seemed able to handle it. It
really grew away from them. Mr. Rogers was
well along in years when he ended his work
as secretary. He is given credit for founding
the company, and for the business policies
that had made it a big concern when he relin-
quished his secretaryship.
A valued document at the Windstorm
office is the third policy issued by the compa-
ny, on April 7, 1885, to Henry N. Bowman, of
Johnstown, for $2,675. This policy was taken
up when the form and coverage were changed.
Fortunately, it was preserved and is now a
prized relic of the earliest days of the compa-
ny’s history.
IMPROVED PROCEDURES
Many changes and marked improvements
in carrying on the business of this wide-
ly-known company have been made in recent
years. Not the least is the manner of the elec-
tion of the company’s executive officers –
president, secretary and treasurer. For several
years these officers were not members of the
board of directors, and were elected on the
town-meeting plan – that is, all the poli-
cy-holders who desired to vote, had to come
to Hastings to cast their ballots for the officers
and directors. Barry and Eaton counties could
thus control the elections, for they were near-
by. I have seen people brought here by train-
load (there were no autos then) from EatonRapids, Charlotte, Nashville, Caledonia, Mid-
dleville, also from Cloverdale, Woodland and
Delton to vote at these elections.
That was too much like politics. So it
changed so that voting could be done by
proxies – which gave policy holders all over
the state a chance to be represented. Formerly
the executive officers were always from
Barry and Eaton counties. Now, the officers
are chosen by and from the board of directors,
as is true of business corporations, and are
responsible to the board. The present officers
are Harrison Dodds, president, who now
resides here, but came from West Branch;
Robert E. Stanley, secretary-treasurer, whose
home is now in Hastings, but who lived in
Indian River before coming here, and V.P.
Mott, vice-president, who lived in Hickory
Corners for 18 years and Prairieville for four
years and in Scottville at the time he moved
to Hastings last November.
REPRESENT MICHIGAN
The fifteen present board members came
from various sections of Michigan including
Oceana, Ogemaw, Mecosta, Ottawa, Gratiot,
Shiawassee, Ingham and Barry counties.
Changes and improvements have been
made in the methods of carrying on the busi-
ness of this company. It was well organized
and is conducted on the same sound business
principles, whose worth and successful oper-
ation have been proven in leading corpora-
tions in other fields. The company has grown
from $100,000 of insurance to $900,000,
and is heading for the billion-dollar mark. It
is helpful to the state and to this city to have
such a company. The credit for starting it, and
shaping its policies until it was nearing the
$100,000,000 mark belongs to D.W. Rogers.
Those who remember Mr. Rogers will
recall him as a quiet, modest, unassuming
man who thought before he spoke or acted,
who wanted to be sure as he could that what
he did was the right thing to do and was a
man of character and executive ability.
Aside from his work in the insurance field,
Mr. Rogers served Hastings as alderman and
mayor and was always interested in the prog-
ress and prosperity of this city. All who
appreciate the benefits the Windstorm Co.
confers upon Hastings will be thankful that
he not only thought of starting such a compa-
ny but insisted on establishing it in Hastings.A bug’s life
Do insects have blood in their bodies?
Raman, 7, Wash.Dear Raman,
You probably don’t look like an insect.
You don’t have feelers or wings. You keep
your skeleton inside your body instead of
on the outside. But what about blood? Do
insects have blood like yours?
I talked about this with my friend Rich-
ard Zack. He’s an entomologist at Wash-
ington State University.
“Insects have hemolymph,” he said. “It’s
very similar to blood.
Zack told me hemolymph moves differ-
ently through the body, and it doesn’t do
everything blood does.
Humans and other mammals have closed
circulatory systems. That means their
blood travels in blood vessels. A heart
pumps the blood all over the body, and it
moves through a network of blood vessels
to get there.
As it moves through the body, blood
carries things with it. It carries chemical
messages called hormones. It carries nutri-
ents. If you get hurt, it carries cells that
repair wounds. If germs get into your body,
immune cells travel in the blood to fight
the germs, so you don’t get sick.
Insects have open circulatory systems.
They don’t have any blood vessels. Their
hemolymph just sloshes around in their
bodies. They have a heart, but it’s not like
yours. It’s one long tube along the insect’s
back. This tube pulls in some of the hemo-
lymph as it sloshes around and pushes it to
the front of the insect.
There, the hemolymph can pick up hor-
mones and other stuff from the insect’s
brain. It carries those things with it as it
flows freely back through the insect’s
body. Hemolymph carries hormones, nutri-ents, and cells for wound repair and
germ-fighting–just like human blood does.
But human blood does one more thing.
Blood contains a protein called hemoglo-
bin. That protein grabs on to oxygen from
the lungs. It carries the oxygen through the
network of blood vessels and delivers it to
your cells. Hemoglobin contains iron. It’s
red–and that’s why human blood is red.
Hemolymph doesn’t contain hemoglo-
bin. It doesn’t carry oxygen at all.
Instead, insects send oxygen to their
cells through tiny air tubes. Insects have
openings on each side of their bodies–
called spiracles. They open these spiracles
to let in air. Each spiracle is linked to a
network of air tubes. Oxygen moves
through these tubes to get to each cell in
the insect’s body.
Since they don’t have iron-rich hemoglo-
bin, hemolymph isn’t red like human blood.
Hemolymph contains lots of copper. So,
hemolymph is blue green. But that color can
change depending on what the insect eats.
“The functions of hemolymph and blood
are almost exactly the same,” Zack said.
“Except for this one biggie: Insect blood
doesn’t move oxygen. That’s a whole dif-
ferent system in insects. But when you
think of all the other things that blood
does–moves messages through the body,
moves nutrients, heals wounds–hemo-
lymph does the same things.”
It turns out you have a lot in common
with insects after all.Dr. UniverseDo you have a question? Ask Dr. Uni-
verse. Send an email to Washington State
University’s resident scientist and writer at
[email protected] or visit her website,
askdruniverse.com.Thursday, May 11 – Movie Memories & Milestones watches the
1948 film “Romance on the High Seas,” 5 p.m.
Friday, May 12 – Science Story Time: Shellebration with special
guest Watermelon, 10:30 a.m.
Monday, May 15 – Crafting Passions, 10 a.m.; Lego club, 4-5 p.m.
Tuesday, May 16 – Baby Cafe, 10 a.m.; mahjong and chess, 5 p.m.;Working with Stained Glass: Restore it or Create it, a Journey of
Glass, 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, May 17 – Itsy Bitsy Book Club, 10:30 a.m.; writers’
night, 6:30 p.m.
More information about these and other events is available by call-
ing the library, 269-945-4263.HASTINGS PUBLIC LIBRARY SCHEDULE
The Hastings office of the Michigan Mutual Windstorm Insurance Co. Today, the
building is known as the Barry County Friend of the Court building.
A drayload of statements being hauled away from the first Windstorm Co. office building on South Jefferson. The company soon
outgrew these quarters.Cyclone prompts idea for ‘Windstorm’