Lumberman's Insurance Co. Fire Marker

Lumberman's Insurance Co. fire marker. Used primarily for advertising purposes, fire marks were used from 1752 to circa 1900. Going back to their early practices, the Philadelphia Contributionship and The Baltimore Equitable Society still issue fire marks. A similar one is displayed in the Fireman's Hall Museum. The Lumbermen’s mark is an unusual motif of four logs overlapping at the ends with the monogram “L I Co” in the center. All though the company was organized by lumber dealers in reaction to high insurance rates for lumber risks, it pursued a general insurance business. In 1873 the Fire Association and the United Firemen’s Insurance Company were still issuing fire marks even though Philadelphia’s fire department was paid and the volunteer era had ended. No doubt, in order to compete, the Lumbermen’s also issued a fire mark. It was the last newly organized Philadelphia insurer to issue a cast iron fire mark.