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Pilgrim Health and Life Insurance Company

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@ New Georgia Encyclopedia

Greene, Joseph D

Description

Encyclopedia article about the Pilgrim Health and Life Insurance Company which was founded in 1898 in Augusta and was the first insurance provider for African Americans in Georgia. A black-owned and -operated company, Pilgrim was one of the largest employers of African Americans in Augusta and issued tens of thousands of policies in the first decades of the twentieth century. The company was founded by African American young men Solomon W. Walker, his brother Thomas Walker, cousin Walter Hornsby, and former classmate James C. Collier. During a financial crisis in 1905, the company merged with several other local benevolent societies. The company also operated in Alabama, South Carolina, and Florida. It was purchased by Atlanta Life Insurance Company in 1990.The Civil Rights Digital Library received support from a National Leadership Grant for Libraries awarded to the University of Georgia by the Institute of Museum and Library Services for the aggregation and enhancement of partner metadata.

Record Contributed By

New Georgia Encyclopedia

Record Harvested From

Digital Library of Georgia