Our company chairman, Bob Anderson, celebrated his 75th birthday over the weekend. His son Chris, our president, wrote a history of the company for our blog.
The F. A. Peabody Company was first incorporated in 1927 by its founder, Frank Allen Peabody, providing property & casualty insurance to farmers, loggers, truckers, retailers, and their families out of a small office located in the Market Square of Houlton, Maine. In the early 50’s, Oscar Benn from Hodgdon assumed ownership and the presidency of the agency. A real estate division was created in that time led by the company’s treasurer, Fred Sylvester. Robert Anderson, Oscar’s son-in-law, of Littleton was hired in the early 60’s. By 1967 Robert had acquired the agency from Oscar and became its president. The staff had grown to six and the agency was now selling life, disability and health insurance along with its real estate brokerage division.
The agency opened its second office location in Sherman Mills in the late 70’s under the leadership of Vera Mitchell. In the mid 1980’s the F. A. Peabody Company acquired a travel agency, Travel Connections, offering travel services throughout the Southern Aroostook area. In 1988 Christopher Anderson joined the firm as a sales agent returning to Houlton after working for the Travelers Insurance Company. At that same time Liz Anderson (Chris’ spouse) assumed management of Travel Connections. Chris became FAPCO’s president in 1994 while Robert remains on today as its Chairman.
Chris Anderson watches son Lucas putt at The County Open in August
Photo courtesy Houlton Pioneer Times
Over the years the insurance operation has grown to eight Maine insurance locations and the company has diversified further with the addition of trust administration services in the early 90’s (FAPCO Administrative Services) led by Connie Hagan and in 2001 created the internet service provider, Pioneer Broadband, led by Tim McAfee.
Today, FAPCO is over ninety employees strong with a commitment to northern Maine as strong as the day Frank Allen started the company in 1927.