So as Al Shank Insurance celebrates our 80th Anniversary, you need to come see our “antique” office. It contains many things from our past including an Ediphone. It was patented in 1914 by Thomas Edison. Think of it as a dictaphone or recorder. You recorded your message on round wax cylinders and then your secretary listen and typed your letter out. It was amazing when first used. Edison started on it even before the phonograph.
When we first moved from 1014 N Kansas Ave to 24 W Second in Liberal, Zimmerman and Co, who we had bought and were moving into their location, already had the antique office. I wanted to do away with it, but the ladies in the office were really not "keen" on doing away with it. So they made sure they invited almost everyone that came into the office to look in the antique office. After that person's visit was done then they would come to my office and say something like this, "you know so and so was in and they really loved the antique office....they thought it was really neat." Well after about a month of that going on I decided to keep the office and all that was in it. Besides the Ediphone, there are old pictures of the building, insurance ledgers from days gone by, old signs, as well as other items. One of the best is the book of about 30 pictures from the 1936 Liberal tornado that did extensive damage to the town. You may remember part of that story as that also lead to our "ghost at 24," you may have heard or read about.
So you maybe surprised Al Shank Insurance has an antique office. Call or come see us and you may be surprised on what great things we can do on your insurance…ASI….Insurance as it should be from people you trust!