People are our greatest assets. From our employees to our customers, we hold the relationships we build with one another, within our community, country, and the world, in the highest esteem. Chicago was a rapidly growing city with a population approaching 17,000, and new pioneers were steadily streaming in to pursue the opportunities promised by the western frontier. A young law clerk, Edward A. Rucker, devised a method for tracking every recorded instrument and legal proceeding affecting real estate titles, called an abstract of title. This summary saved attorneys the laborious task of searching official records in connection with transfers of real property. It was a valuable service that was welcomed. James H. Rees, a prominent real estate entrepreneur, joined Rucker in Chicago’s first land title abstract business. Carrying on alone after Rucker’s departure from the business in 1850, Rees partnered with Samuel B. Chase in 1852. The firm of Rees & Chase later became Chase Brothers upon Rees’ departure. In 1891, the name of the company was changed to Chicago Title and Trust Company (CT&T). By 1920, the scope of the company’s business had extended beyond Cook County, Illinois, where it started, and in the 1950s, Chicago Title began reaching beyond its state borders. It was then that Chicago Title Insurance Company (CTIC), as we know it today, developed as a wholly-owned subsidiary of CT&T. TODAY Chicago Title Insurance Company is now a proud family member of Fidelity National Title Group, one of the largest title insurance and real estate service providers in the nation. Many things have changed since 1847, but the company’s core competencies are steadfast: outstanding customer service, an untarnished reputation for integrity, and a rock-solid, enduring identity synonymous with unparalleled expertise.