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By HOWARD WIEDENHOEFT<\/p>\n
The bylaws of any mutuals are its insurance policy and throughout the years they change to meet the times. This was true in the 19th century and the early days of\u00a0Ixonia Mutual Fire Insurance Company<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Watertown Mutual Fire Insurance Company<\/span><\/a>, when\u00a0one of the more interesting items addressed was the ownership of farm steam engines.<\/span><\/p>\n Even though steam engines were powerhouses of the farm, they also were a liability due to the dangers of broilers and steam pressure. The original 1875 Ixonia Mutual bylaws stated there could be no coverage of a property if a steam engine was on premise. In 1885, the mutual changes its bylaw and offered two-thirds coverage if a steam engine was on premise. In 1888, it offered full coverage. In 1896, the bylaws required two barrels of water and two pails and a 16 foot ladder be keep between the steam engine and a straw stack.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s unsure of Watertown Mutual\u2019s early bylaws on steam engines, but in 1895 the mutual required a barrel or milk cans of water be keep close in case of fire. In 1899, they required steam engines could only burn coal and there would be no insurance on the premise if the engine burned wood.<\/span><\/p>\n Other changes in bylaws regarded insuring businesses. You may recall the large mill loss in 1885<\/span><\/a>. Following this expensive payout for Ixonia Mutual,\u00a0its board voted to discontinue insuring cheese and butter factories, wagon and blacksmith shops, and warehouses. However, in 1903 the mutual once again began\u00a0insuring these risks.<\/span><\/p>\n Following its\u00a0year of large losses<\/span><\/a>, Ixonia Mutual created an adjusting committee to serve for a full a year rather than appointing individual committees for each loss. Thankfully for the mutual, this committee did not have any work until 1888, as no losses occurred in 1886 or 1887.<\/span><\/p>\n Customs certainly were different in those days. At its annual meetings, Ixonia Mutual read aloud the amount of insurance in force that each policyholder carried. In 1897, it was decided the insurance carried by policyholders should be printed rather than read aloud. It’s unsure how long this practice continued but it was common and expected at that time.\u00a0 In 1911, Wisconsin changed its laws for mutual insurance companies and members were each allowed just one vote, as opposed to one vote for each $200 of insurance inforce.<\/span><\/p>\n By the Minutes: Introduction<\/a><\/p>\n 1872 Watertown Mutual Founded<\/a><\/p>\n 1875 Ixonia Mutual Founded<\/a><\/p>\n Comparing the Capitalizing of Two Early Mutuals<\/a><\/p>\n A Mutual\u2019s First Claim<\/a><\/p>\n Supporting Dairy in the Late 1800s<\/a><\/p>\n 1879 Early Challenges for a Young Mutual<\/a><\/p>\n Ixonia Mutual\u2019s First $1000 Loss<\/a><\/p>\n 1885 A Year of Neighbor Helping Neighbor<\/a><\/p>\n Changes of Bylaws<\/a><\/p>\n Our Dairy Heritage<\/a><\/p>\n Insuring Automobiles<\/a><\/p>\n Taxes, War and the English Language<\/a><\/p>\n Supporting the Community\u2019s Fire Protection<\/a><\/p>\n Board Directors and Their Meetings<\/a><\/p>\n Standardization of Wisconsin Mutuals<\/a><\/p>\n Of Electricity, Radio and Foxes<\/a><\/p>\n Our Annual Meetings Over the Years<\/a><\/p>\n Tumultuous 1930-1940s<\/a><\/p>\n How a Major Disaster Affected Extended Coverage and Reinsurance<\/a><\/p>\n Surviving the Big Dogs in the 1960s<\/a><\/p>\n Introducing Agents to the Mutuals<\/a><\/p>\n Accounting Over the Years<\/a><\/p>\n Centennial Anniversaries<\/a><\/p>\n Mutual Offices<\/a><\/p>\n Mutual Managers and Staff<\/a><\/p>\n Establishing Confidence in Financial Strength<\/a><\/p>\n Entering the Era of Computers<\/a><\/p>\n The 1990s, Advancement and Angst<\/a><\/p>\n The Start of the 21st Century<\/a><\/p>\n Concord and Watertown Merge<\/a><\/p>\n Ixonia Mutual and Watertown Mutual Merge and a New Company is Formed<\/a><\/p>\n Setting the Stage, Moving Forward with a New 2020 Vision<\/a><\/p>\n
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