A party named Johnson opened a shingle advertising the "Head office of the Northwestern Life Insurance Company of Janesville" and "Janesville Fire Insurance Company" in Janesville; the former closed for lack of policy-holders.

The evidence

• “In 1857, a party by the name of Johnson hung out the shingle, " Head office of the Northwestern Life Insurance Company of JanesviUe, and "JanesviUe Fire Insurance Company." A lack of sufficient policy-holders to keep it alive, closed the former; but the latter received more encouragement. Quite a number of dwellings were insured by it.”

  1879-history-of-rock-county/14-rock-county-ch08-janesville.md, PDF p. 588 / book p. 592

  Butterfield, C. W., et al. The History of Rock County, Wisconsin: its early settlement, growth, development, resources, etc. Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1879. Cornell University Library via the Internet Archive, archive.org/details/cu31924028871585.

  Grade A: Found on a page of one of our sources