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Our Agency History
H.B. Beels & Son, Inc.
was founded in 1910 by Harry B. Beels when he purchased the J.
L. McElhany Agency for $350.00. The first company he
carried was
Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Marble, Pennsylvania.
In 1915 the State of Pennsylvania passed a law making it
mandatory for employers to carry workers’ compensation and set
up the state insurance fund. Over the next several years Farmers felt that the state fund’s rates were too high. In 1920
the Pennsylvania Thresherman’s and Farmers Mutual Casualty
Insurance Company was formed. Harry knew Jacob Rose, who was
the general manager of PTF, and he became an agent for them.
Our agency was the seventh agency that was appointed by PTF. In
1963 PTF changed their name to Pennsylvania National Mutual
Casualty Insurance Company. Harry served on the board of
directors for PTF for 30 years. His son Kenneth also was on
their Board from 1975 to 1990.
Harry’s son
Kenneth W. Beels joined him in 1936 and on January 1, 1942 they
formed the partnership of H. B. Beels & Son. In 1948 William W.
Mason, Harry’s stepson joined the agency. During those years, the
Agency was located on the east side of Main Street in Knox on
the second floor above the Drug Store.
On December 1,
1958 the Agency was incorporated with H. B. Beels - President,
William (Bill) W. Mason - Vice President, and Kenneth W. Beels -
Secretary and Treasurer. Harry died on Christmas day 1972 at
age 88. In 1973 the agency moved to the present location at 433
Main Street in Knox. William W. Mason died of a heart attack in
1981 and Kenneth died on March 8, 2001 at the age of 87.
Ken would
always say that the first automobile policy he wrote was $15.30
for one year’s coverage. Harry use to talk about
taking the train from Knox to Foxburg back in 1919, going across the
Allegheny River by flat bottom raft, walking to Parker, and then
renting a horse to go the Bruin. Policies were three dollars
and he would sometimes take live chickens in exchange for
coverage. Well, things have changed. Policies are not $3.00
and we don’t take live poultry in exchange for premiums today,
but we can still trace four generations of customers along that
trip Harry took in 1919. |
