On June 10, 1916 a group of farmers gathered at the County Court House in Cooperstown, North Dakota to organize a county mutual insurance company in Griggs County, for the purpose of insuring the property of its members against loss from damage by fire and lightning on the county mutual plan. At this meeting W.P. Houghton was named chairman, Louis Berg, Secretary, and H.P. Hammer, Treasurer. Twenty-two farmers paid a $2.00 membership fee to become members. The name chosen for the company was Griggs County Mutual Fire and Lightning Insurance Company.
During the following winter M.F. Washburn and Louis Berg secured $25,000 worth of insurance applications, enough to allow them to secure a charter from the state.
At a meeting held in Berg Brothers office on March 10, 1917 the first board of directors wits elected as follows: T.A. Huso, Gunder Trostad, PIE. Iverson, Henry Asmus, A.O. Retzlaff, BW. Hazard, C.K. Stromme, G.H. Rohlwlng, M. Mogaard, E. Savre, H.J. Langford, Wilmot Houghton, Fred Detwiller, M.F. Washburn and Frank J. Pfeifer. Following this meeting the directors held a meeting and elected the first officers to serve for a one-year term. E. Savre was elected President
Fred Detwiller, First Vice President
BW. Hazard, Second Vice President: M.F. Washburn, Secretary and Louis Berg, Treasurer.
With its home office and principal place of business located at Cooperstown, North Dakota, the Company commenced business May 15, 1917. On this date the first policies were issued, with the first policy being issued to Louis Berg.
The Articles of Incorporation have since been amended changing the name of the company to "Griggs County Mutual Insurance Company.” Additional insurance cover-ages have also been added to the farm policy.
This company is controlled by its membership consisting of persons or organizations having insurance in force therein. The management of its business affairs is vested in a board of directors composed of nine members elected at the annual meeting of the membership held on the third Friday of June of each year. Directors are elected for staggered terms of three years each and the directors elect from their members a president and vice president. They also elect a Secretary and Treasurer who may or may not be members of the board and also appoint an adjuster inspector.
The home office building was constructed in 1976 and is a modern, one story, cement block structure with a brick faced front and is located on Main Street in Cooperstown.
Source: Cooperstown, North Dakota 1882-1982 Centennial Page 215