Merrimac Mutual Insurance Company was established November 25, 1873 and Lodi Mutual Fire Insurance was established March 28, 1877. For over 145 years the company’s business was conducted out of the homes of the Secretary. On October 1, 2008 the two companies merged under the name of Merrimac Lodi Mutual Insurance Company and are now renting office space in Prairie du Sac, WI. The company has three
full-time employees; general manager, claims/underwriter, and office manager and they currently write business in Columbia, Sauk, Dane, Iowa, Richland and Juneau counties. With the merger, the company hopes to better service their policyholders well into the future. In the mid to late 1800’s, farmers could not afford (or the cost was too prohibitive) to purchase property insurance on their residence, personal property and outbuildings. In those days, stock insurance companies felt that if there was a farm fire, it would most probably be a total loss by the time the fire department arrived on the scene. At this time many local insurance companies sprang up throughout Wisconsin, at one time over 300 companies. They were called town mutuals and were only insuring for fire coverage. The format was that 25 farmers were needed to originate a company to insure each other’s losses. The concept was neighbor insuring neighbor. These community founded companies were organized and continue to operate under the supervision of a Board of Directors of local community members. Today Merrimac Lodi Mutual Insurance provides coverage for homeowners, farm owners, extended coverage, personal auto, mobile homeowners, dwelling packages, inland marine, watercraft, personal umbrella, commercial package policies, general liability, business owners and commercial property.
