The firm of Allen & Allen was begun in 1922 by two brothers who decided it wasn't enough just to run a small farm operation, so they purchased the insurance business of Geo. M. Murray where T. J. Allen had been working.  Geo. Murray had many interests, including an abstract office, insurance agency, commodity office for buying cotton, pecans and grain. T .J. Allen had moved to Coleman from Novice after selling the general store he had been operating there as part of the firm of Gates-Star-Allen.  W. D. Allen had been farming in the south part of the county and also working in the Coulson Drug Store.  Mr. Murray traveled quite a bit, and while he was gone, T. J. Allen learned how to "run" the insurance office.  Both the insurance and abstract operations were located together in the upper floor of the courthouse.

     With the Allen boys running it, the insurance office was moved to the front 2nd floor of the Coleman National Bank (now 1st Coleman National). Thus the brothers had an office in town "to get the mail, meet friends and stay away from their wives during the day."  The intention was to work the insurance business during bad weather when farming couldn't be done.

     This location afforded many advantages for the father of small boys.  Commercial Avenue was wide and unpaved and was the site for traveling carnivals to set up.  The writer remembers one occasion when a tall ladder was mounted over a water tank approximately 4' deep, and the climax of the evening was to be a high dive into the shallow water.  A box seat was thus available at no cost as a fringe benefit of the office location.  The dive was successful.

     The next change involved the purchase of the Collins & Shore Insurance agency (made up of L. E. Collins and Hubert Shore) and moving the combined operation into larger space on the 2nd floor of the building adjoining to the south.  Mr. Collins joined as a partner, and Mr. Shore became an outside salesman (solicitor).  The firm, renamed Allen-Collins Co., soon moved downstairs and occupied space at 108 Commercial Avenue.  This involved more space than the insurance office required, so space in the back was rented to Vida Jones, who operated a blueprint business to serve the burgeoning oil industry.  She was soon joined by Coleman Abstract Co. with E. P. Scarborough and Fred Henderson.  Hubert Shore, primarily a rural solicitor, was most energetic and effective, making friends for the firm that have continued to the present day.  Mr. Collins felt the pace was swifter than he cared for and later made a successful race for the office of tax assessor-collector for Coleman County.  Years later, after leaving that office, this good man again went into the insurance business, and when advancing age made it difficult for him to meet the business demands, he placed his business with the Allens and became an office solicitor.  Hubert Shore quit and entered the tailoring and dry cleaning business under the name of A-1 Cleaners.

     W. D. Allen had a bright engineer's mind and saw the need in Coleman for paved streets and in the late 20's left the insurance business to join with Joe M. McCarthy to operate as paving contractors.  This firm left its mark on many Coleman Streets as well as other towns in West Texas.

     T. J. Allen continued in the insurance business and joined partners with Jack Durham when he purchased the interest of W. D. Allen.  The firm then became Allen-Durham.  Shortly thereafter the office moved south a block and occupied space vacated when Gray Merchantile Co. discontinued its grocery and dry goods departments.  The abstract firm also moved along with the same arrangement as before, but the blueprint business meanwhile had been terminated.

     During the depression years the firm moved back to the lower floor of its original location and occupied quarters between 1st Coleman National Bank and Coulson Drug Store, continuing there until the banks expansion required that space.  This resulted in the move to the present location at the corner of Pecan and Concho Streets, the first time it had not been on "Main Street" (Commercial Avenue).  The formal opening at the new location was held November 23, 1954.

     In 1939, Jack Durham departed the firm, son Clyde D. Allen joined his father, and the name again became Allen & Allen, which continues to the present day, with Clyde D. Allen as sole owner.

     For many years, the late Jess R. Pearce conducted his real estate work in the same office as Allen & Allen.  He died shortly before the move to Pecan and Concho Streets, and at the new location the real estate firm of Knight & Scott became occupants, although there was no business relationship between the two.  With the move, Fred Paddleford, then owner-operator of Coleman Abstract, severed the association and moved to quarters in the Coleman Bank Building.  During all these years the firm has purchased 16 other Coleman insurance agencies.  Certainly during these sixty-plus years there was ample opportunity for some bizarre, comical things to happen and they did.  As in the late 20's, when Leon Shield phoned from Abilene to say he had purchased a new car and wanted it insured.  Upon being told it was "bound," he started to drive to Coleman, but on the way fire broke out and destroyed his new pride.  Flagging a ride on to Coleman, he rushed by the office, and upon being assured that the car would be paid for, said, "Well, it's still not very late; I believe I'll go back and get another one."