Photograph of Martin Willard.
Martin Stevenson Willard (1858-1933) was born in Washington, NC. His family fled westward during the Civil War and settled in Wilmington, NC. He was educated in local Wilmington Schools and attended Yale University. Willard founded the Carolina Insurance Company in 1877, for which he was Secretary Treasurer. The company eventually grew to be the largest insurance company in North Carolina, doing business in life, accident, marine, and fire insurance. As an insurance agent for many foreign companies, Willard wrote policies for the commercial ships leaving the Wilmington port. He also served as President of the Willard Bag and Manufacturing Company. Willard served on the Board of County Commissioners in 1912, and was Chairman from 1914-1916. He was a member of Hook and Ladder Co. 1 for the Fire Department, member of the Wilmington Light Infantry, chairman of the New Hanover County Board of Health, and member of the first Board of Managers of James Walker Memorial Hospital. He also served in the North Carolina Legislature from 1899 to 1901, authoring the Willard Bill which established the North Carolina Department of Insurance and the State Fire Marshalls office. Willard is buried in Oakdale Cemetery.
Subject
Insurance; Legislators--United States; New Hanover County (N.C.). Board of Commissioners; North Carolina. General Assembly
Format
black-and-white photograph
Identifier
00.166
Source
Martin S. Willard Collection, Sp. Coll. # 1303
Publisher
New Hanover County Public Library
Provenance
Donated to the New Hanover County Public Library by Emerson Willard in 2011
Rights
Copyright is owned by the New Hanover County Public Library. For commercial or other use, permission must be granted.
