Fire, a disaster that could wipe out years of hard work in an hour, represented the greatest risks to families who first populated the Enumclaw plateau. One of town’s first cooperative was Farmers’ Mutual Insurance Company. The organizers were pioneering Enumclaw men, many of Danish descent composed of Niels Brons, J. Charles Jensen, Johan Jensen, L.C. Smith, Frank Siefert, and Henry Brooks. Their founding president, George Bruhn had experience in Danish agriculture cooperatives plus the American insurance industry. Others included Otto Tamm, vice president; W.F. Eckhart, secretary; and I.B. Price, Treasurer. But, the face of the company became S. L. Sorenson, the company’s traveling agent who rode his horse from home to home encouraging local farmers to become members of the mutual company. Because of the sometimes great distance between farms Sorenson would often stay overnight, eat a big breakfast, and ride on to his next stop. Pioneers interviewed by historians remarked as to how far Sorenson would sometimes walk on a given day.
The company remained farm-focused until the late 1940s when it began offering insurance to families. It remained Washington-based until 1952 when operations expanded to Oregon and Idaho. In 1966, the company changed their name to Mutual of Enumclaw Insurance Co. Steady growth continued with further expansions into Utah, Arizona, and Montana. And today, Mutual of Enumclaw is regularly recognized as one of the ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’ by Seattle Business Magazine.
This photo dates to 1915 when Farmers’ Mutual moved into their new brick building at the corner of Initial and Wells. Today’s complex includes several buildings and parking lots that consumes over three city blocks, all originating from the cornerstone of this small brick structure. The company currently employs 414 workers, 311 at their downtown headquarters; 75 remotely from homes; and 28 from field offices. Mutual of Enumclaw is one of the town’s largest employers.
