The Hartford Marks 200 Years

The Hartford marks 200 years in business today, a commemoration recognized at the New York Stock Exchange this morning as CEO Liam E. McGee and CFO Christopher J. Swift rang the opening bell.

“The company has played a critical role in America’s history, protecting and investing in the country’s trials and triumphs,” McGee said. “We have assisted customers through almost every major historic event in the U.S. since 1810.”

Among the milestone marked in the The Hartford’s corporate history:

• Providing the contract bonds for construction of the Hoover Dam in 1931 and the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937
• Issuing a personal liability policy for President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s 190-acre working farm and insuring Abraham Lincoln’s home in Springfield, Ill., in 1861
• Paying out almost $2 million in claims after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed nearly 17,500 buildings and claimed 250 lives
• Paying more than 950 business, life, auto and property claims as a result of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

The bicentennial earned praise from Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell. “As the first insurance company incorporated in Connecticut, The Hartford has grown into one of the preeminent protection and wealth management companies in the United States,” she said.