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Roller-Skating messengers State Farm Insurance, summer 1940

Fayne Hoobler (left, on skates) delivers mail to Dorothy Thompson on the sixth floor the State Farm Insurance Companies high-rise office building in downtown Bloomington. Hoobler, under the direction of Divisional Manager Charles E. Beadles, tested the feasibility of equipping mail delivery staff with roller skates.

The experiment proved successful by halving the time it took Hoobler to complete her rounds. Other roller skating messengers would soon follow her lead. Anyone remember when State Farm used staff on roller skates?

Bill Kemp

Bill Kemp

Bill Kemp is the Librarian at the McLean County Museum of History

Comments

Dennis Stostad3/07/19 6:34am

Are your photos available for use on other websites? I have a website on insurance – http://hugyouragent.net/ – and I want to do a blog post about the history of insurance, particularly State Farm. I’d like to use the roller skate photos from your website. May I?

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