Brownsville in Haywood County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
Golden Circle Life Insurance Company
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, March 20, 2022
1. Golden Circle Life Insurance Company Marker
Jefferson Street Historic District
National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form
Click for more information.
National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form
Click for more information.
Tennessee
Historical Commission
Golden Circle Life
Insurance Company
of Historic Places
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Charity & Public Work • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1950.
Location. 35° 35.583′ N, 89° 15.674′ W. Marker is in Brownsville, Tennessee, in Haywood County. It is on South Jackson Avenue north of East Jefferson Street, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 39 S Jackson Ave, Brownsville TN 38012, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in West Tennessee. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Rawls Funeral Home (a few steps from this marker); Opera House (within shouting distance of this marker); Lot Number 1 (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Elbert Williams (about 300 feet away); The Brownsville Raids (about 300 feet away); Fighting for Freedom (about 300 feet away); Pythian Hotel (about 400 feet away); First National Bank (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Brownsville.
Regarding Golden Circle Life Insurance Company. Excerpt from the National Register nomination for the Jefferson Street Historic District, which includes
this page online
While many factories and businesses in Brownsville remained predominantly white-owned in the 1950s, one African American-owned business was the Rawls Funeral Home, established in 1933 by Charles Allen Rawls, an influential citizen and businessman. From this business grew the Rawls Mutual Benefit Burial Association, which was established to assist impoverished families throughout West Tennessee in burying their family members with dignity by paying a small monthly premium. From the Rawls Mutual Benefit Burial Association, came the Sons and Daughters of the Golden Circle, a fraternal order, later organized as the Golden Circle Life Insurance Company, an old-line, legal reserve, stock life insurance company, incorporated in 1958. Through the insurance companys Mortgage Loan Department, many families that were in danger of losing their homes or farms were able to secure loans in order to save them. Many churches throughout West Tennessee were able to construct new buildings because of loans made through the Golden Circle Life Insurance Company. Another enterprise of the Golden Circle Life Insurance Company was The Tribes of Judea, which offered life and health insurance to elderly citizens who were unable to secure insurance through the Golden Circle Life Insurance Company. The Golden Circle Life Insurance Company operated its headquartersat 39 South Jackson Avenue for fifty-one years and ranked seventeenth among the thirty-two African American-owned insurance companies in the United States in 1983.Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, March 20, 20222. Golden Circle Life Insurance Company Marker
Also see . . . Golden Circle Life Insurance Company. A brief history of the company, from its 1950 founding as a cash benefit fraternal organization to one of the nation's largest African American-owned insurance companies. (Sharon Norris, Tennessee Encyclopedia, posted Oct. 8, 2017) (Submitted on March 23, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Credits. This page was last revised on May 18, 2022. It was originally submitted on March 22, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 261 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 22, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
