About Moore-Lancaster Agency
In 1903, Kansas native Howard Searcy moved to Wagoner, Indian Territory with his wife, Pearl C. Moyer, of a pioneer family of Woods County, Oklahoma. During his forty-three years residence in Wagoner, Mr. Searcy founded both Searcy Insurance Agency and the Wagoner County Abstract Company. He served a term as President of the Oklahoma Title Association in 1927-28 and, at the time of his death in 1946, was a member of its Board of Directors. The couple had no children. Euel and his brother, Arch Lancaster, were both partners with Howard Searcy. The insurance agency was passed to Euel Lancaster while the abstract company was passed to Arch Lancaster. Searcy-Lancaster Agency eventually transitioned into Lancaster Agency under Euel Lancaster. The historical Wagoner County Abstract office, next to the Wagoner Tribune office, today bears the founder’s name “Searcy” at the top.
Euel Lancaster was an active member of the community just as Howard and Pearl Searcy had become during their lifetimes. He served as secretary of the Wagoner Chamber of Commerce for many years and served as chairman of the War Ration Board from 1942 to 1945. Euel was first elected to the Wagoner Soil Conservation in 1938 and continued until his death in 1989 – serving as chairman during this time. In 1941, Euel was appointed to the State Soil Conservation Board and served under Governors Leon C. Phillips, Robert S. Kerr, Roy J. Turner, Johnston Murray, Raymond Gary, J. Howard Edmondson, and George Nigh for a period of 22 consecutive years. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Conservation Hall of Fame in 1987. Euel also owned a dairy farm north of Wagoner from the early 1930s until 1947 and in 1941 purchased the Lancaster Flying L Ranch which he actively operated until his death. Both Euel and Arch were members of Wagoner Masonic Lodge No. 98. Euel served as an officer in the lodge while Arch served as worshipful master or president of the lodge in 1941. Lancaster Agency was sold to Euel’s son, Bill Lancaster in 1958.
In 1969, Bill was elected to his first of three terms as mayor of Wagoner. In 1975, he was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives and served 5 terms. Bill served as Planning and Organizer for Kerr-McClellan Navigation Channel under Governor Dewey Bartlett, served in the State Chamber of Commerce as Industrial Developer and was one of the original founders of Oklahoma Northeast which later became Oklahoma Green Country known for tourism and industrial development. Bill was also president of the K and L Company, an oil search and development company, from 1981-1995, as well as a board member and director of The First Wagoner Bank and Trust Company from 1970 until it was purchased by BancFirst Corporation in 2018. He was an active member of the Wagoner Chamber of Commerce and Wagoner Rotary Club since 1958. Bill passed away May 19, 2023.
The insurance agency transitioned again, becoming Moore Agency, Inc d/b/a Moore-Lancaster Agency when Bill sold the agency to Rick Moore in 2020. Rick is now the fourth owner of the insurance company in its 120+ year history. The agency has been an active member of the Wagoner Chamber of Commerce, dating back to the 1940s, and a member of the Wagoner Rotary Club. Both Euel and his wife, Jessie Mae, were long-time members, volunteers and financial contributors at First Baptist Church of Wagoner. Moore-Lancaster Agency is a member of Independent Insurance Agents of Oklahoma, the largest insurance trade association . The agency has also joined OAA/SIAA, the largest independent insurance alliance in the United States, which translates to savings to our customers as we increase access to the number of insurance carrier partners.
Moore-Lancaster Agency is also certified as a Cherokee Nation TERO Indian-Owned Business. Rick's great-grandfather, William Moore, a full-blood Cherokee, was bilingual Cherokee/English. Sadly, due to racial discrimination against Indians, he listed himself as a half-blood on the Dawes Rolls while his sister listed herself as a full-blood. Why? A full-blood Indian could not legally own property at the time unless a white man would co-sign. Pride and Freedom would not permit that to occur. He married a strong Irish woman, Delilah Thompson. Rick's direct Cherokee lineage can be traced to the Trail of Tears and to New Echota, Georgia, prior to the Indian Removal Act.
In early 18th century, Benjamin Franklin formed an insurance company following the 1730 Philadelphia fire. He went on to propose life insurance, annuities, crop insurance and insurance to help widows and orphans, much like a current-day pension. Our goal is similar to Benjamin Franklin’s: To help our neighbors flourish by providing protection against unforeseen occurrences.
