Collection of Incoming Correspondence to Guy R. Phelps (and others), Secretary, later President, of the Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Co., of Hartford, Connecticut, 1847-1868

No Binding. Very Good. 431 letters, 510 pages, dated 1847 to 1868. The bulk are dated 1847-1851, with 3 letters dated 1852, and 1 letter dated 1868.Of these 431 letters, there are 380 incoming letters to Guy R. Phelps of Hartford. Phelps also wrote several of these letters. Also, there are 12 letters written to James Goodwin of Hartford, President of Connecticut Mutual; 26 letters written to one of the company's directors, James A. Ayrault of Hartford. Other directors written to are E. A. Bulkeley of Hartford, (2), Robert Buell of Hartford, (1), and Woodbridge S. Olmsted, Esq. of Hartford, (1). There are also letters written to Dr. Lewis F. Gallup of New Bedford, Massachusetts (1); Joseph H. Davis of Hartford, (1); Amos B. Meritt of Boston (1); and S. C. Bemis, Esq. of Springfield, Massachusetts (1). As well there are 5 other miscellaneous incoming letters written to the Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company. Almost all of the letters are folding stamp-less letter sheets, written in ink, in legible hands. The letters are written by various agents of the company, or directors inquiring about policies, applications, premiums, and other business related information for the policyholder, or potential policyholder, or about the business in general. One of the agents writing regularly is E. B. Pratt of Boston. Most of the letters are written from individuals throughout New England and, the Midwest and Middle Atlantic states. Besides agents of the company, various individuals write to Phelps inquiring about potential policies, or pitching ideas for expanding the company, or seeking to establish agencies in potential emerging markets. There are also interesting letters on insurance policies that touch on the historical events of the day, like the risks of writing policies for those caught up in the California Gold Rush, the Mexican War, and a Cholera outbreak. The letters give excellent insight into the day to day operations during the early years of one of America's pioneering life insurance companies.