And The Award For The Oldest Business In Amarillo Goes To?
The history of any city is typically well documented. Things such as when a city was first settled, when they got their first government, the first building that was erected, etc.
That kind of stuff you can find almost anywhere, whether it be on Google or in a history class.
Amarillo's history is no different. A quick Google search of Amarillo History will turn up all sorts of interesting facts about it.
Once you've exhausted everything about the city that you can find, you start to let your mind wander about more niche things. One of the things that come to mind for me is what is the business that has been operating the longest in a city?
I like to know these sorts of things, and I really don't know why. I guess it's just a curiosity thing for me. It's fun for me to see who has survived what in American history.
So I did a search for this when it came to Amarillo, and landed on a business that has been in Amarillo for well over 100 years.
I introduce you to the Williams-Boyce Insurance Agency. They've been in business here in Amarillo since 1904, and have a pretty cool backstory.
Right there on the front page of their website, they post a brief history of how they got their start and how the business has progressed.
According to their website, it all began with George Williams who moved to the Texas Panhandle for the dry air and to be a part of the initial growth of the frontier.
John Kirkpatrick Boyce entered the picture when he returned to Amarillo as a decorated war hero and became a partner in 1925, giving the shared name of Williams-Boyce on the company letterhead.
When Williams passed away in the 1930s, Boyce became the managing partner of the business and kept it afloat. He also served as the President of the Texas Association of Insurance Agents in 1933.
The company has remained in business since its inception and currently operates out of the insurance building on 6th Ave.