Feb. 1 is the Anniversary of Car Insurance. First Issued, Feb. 1, 1898

There could be no history of car insurance without the development of the car. While there were many steam-powered vehicles and other types of cars being produced, it wasn't until 1893 that the first gasoline-powered car was built in the US by Charles and Frank Duryea. There had always been a type of car insurance for these vehicles, based on the marine insurance, to protect the owner from loss. Then in 1898 the first car insurance policy covering liability was issued to a man named Truman J. Martin through Travelers Insurance Company of Hartford, CT.

In Saline, one of the town's longstanding businesses is Hartman Insurance, founded by Milton Hartman in 1946. He grew the business by following the golden rule: "Treat people right, give people quality and service and they’ll be clients for keeps."

Find out more about Hartman Insurance here.