Lancaster Agency History

Since the mid 1930's The Lancaster Agency has evolved, in one form or another, from several old line insurance families, including "Buck" Gordon and "Soup" Campbell of the Gordon-Campbell Agency and Sam C. May & Ben J. Lancaster of the May & Lancaster Agency. Both represented some of the finest insurance carriers of the day including the Continental, Hartford, Westchester, Home, Reliance, America Fore, State Auto, etc. from their offices on Main Street in Lebanon.

After Selling his interest in the May, Lancaster & Parman Agency in 1971, Agent, Auctioneer and Realtor Charles E. Lancaster, bought an interest in the Gordon Campbell Agency and continued that association until Campbell’s death in 1985. The Lancaster Agency was formed during that time, as the Real Estate and Auction arm of the firm and it became "The Lancaster Agency, Insurance-Real Estate-Auctions", in 1985.

Today the Agency represents insurance carriers that are more regional in nature and thus more acclimated toward life in the rural America. That list today includes State Auto of Columbus, Ohio, American States/Safeco of Indianapolis, Indiana, Kentucky Growers of Lexington, KY, Planters Insurance Co. of Bowling Green, KY, Omni/Hartford of Atlanta, Ga., Progressive Insurance of Cleveland, Oh. and others.

The Lancaster Agency moved into their newly remodeled offices in 1986, converting a former Standard Oil service station into a modern, friendly office featuring off-street parking, a customer drive-up window and employee parking to the rear. The 121 East Main Street site is ideally located next to the United States Post Office and within one half block of the Marion County Courthouse.

In addition to serving this area with all lines of insurance the Agency also lists and sells real estate throughout Lebanon and Marion County and conducts real estate and personal property auctions in the region. Due to the majority of salespeople being women the Agency has become known as the "Home of the Sold Sisters". As of this writing, they include Bootsy Spalding, Kathy Browning, Mary Ann Ohsol and Mary Lancaster Mitchell. The Agency also features Charles E. Lancaster Jr., working in both insurance and real estate, and licensed real estate agents and auctioneer Haydon Johnson.

The daily office staff once included Maydell Campbell who had been with the original agency configuration since 1947 and in 1998 celebrated fifty years of service to the insurance buying public of Lebanon and Marion County. At that time, Kentucky Insurance Commissioner George Nichols, III named her an "Insurance Ambassador" for the state of Kentucky, the only such award ever presented to someone outside the political arena. Maydell retired in 2000 and The Lancaster Agency is proud of her accomplishments, as well as those of Francis "Bootsy" Spalding, current Agent and Customer Service Representative.

1942	The tradition of outstanding professional service for Marion county's insurance, real estate and auction needs began with Ben J. Lancaster in 1942	Ben J. Lancaster
1962	That same tradition of outstanding professional service has been ongoing with Charles E. Lancaster, Sr. since 1962.	Charles E. Lancaster, Sr.
2000	The tradition of outstanding professional service continues into the millennium with the third generation, Charles E. Lancaster, Jr.	Charles, E. Lancaster, Jr.