Letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase (October 26, 1931)
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase (October 26, 1931)
Alternative Title
Chase Correspondence (October 26, 1931)
Subject
Windermere (Fla.)
Chase, Sydney Octavius, 1860-1941
Chase, Joshua Coffin, 1858-1948
Chase and Company (Sanford, Fla.)
Citrus fruit industry--Florida
Citrus--Florida
Grapefruit industry
Grapefruit
Pineapple industr
Pineapple
Tangerine industry
Tangerine
Description
An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Joshua Coffin Chase and Sydney Octavius Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include Joshua's visit to Isleworth Grove, the quality of grapefruit, and Joshua's letter to F. W. Davis regarding early varieties of citrus at Isleworth.
Chase & Company was established by brothers Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase in 1884. The company sold insurance and later invested in storage facilities and fertilizer sales. Chase & Company was known mainly for its agricultural interests and maintained a series of citrus groves throughout Central Florida. The company was based out of Sanford and became one of the city's largest employers into the early twentieth century. By 1886, the Chase brothers purchased several citrus groves to expand their business, including Isleworth Grove in Windermere, Florida. Isleworth Grove covered a total of 1,300 acres along the Butler Chain of Lakes. Between 1894 and 1895, Central Florida was hit by several freezes and most of the citrus crop was destroyed. Chase & Company did not grow citrus crops again until 1904 when Joshua came back from an extended stay in California. Between 1894 and 1900, different types of pesticide equipment was created, including equipment driven by steam, machines, and horses.Randall Chase joined in the family business soon after his brother, Sydney Chase, Jr., did in 1922. Randall became the president of Chase & Company from 1948-1965. The Isleworth property stayed in the Chase family until 1984 when Franklin Chase, the son of Sydney Chase, sold the property to famed golfer Arnold Palmer.
Chase & Company was established by brothers Sydney Octavius Chase and Joshua Coffin Chase in 1884. The company sold insurance and later invested in storage facilities and fertilizer sales. Chase & Company was known mainly for its agricultural interests and maintained a series of citrus groves throughout Central Florida. The company was based out of Sanford and became one of the city's largest employers into the early twentieth century. By 1886, the Chase brothers purchased several citrus groves to expand their business, including Isleworth Grove in Windermere, Florida. Isleworth Grove covered a total of 1,300 acres along the Butler Chain of Lakes. Between 1894 and 1895, Central Florida was hit by several freezes and most of the citrus crop was destroyed. Chase & Company did not grow citrus crops again until 1904 when Joshua came back from an extended stay in California. Between 1894 and 1900, different types of pesticide equipment was created, including equipment driven by steam, machines, and horses.Randall Chase joined in the family business soon after his brother, Sydney Chase, Jr., did in 1922. Randall became the president of Chase & Company from 1948-1965. The Isleworth property stayed in the Chase family until 1984 when Franklin Chase, the son of Sydney Chase, sold the property to famed golfer Arnold Palmer.
Creator
Chase, Joshua Coffin
Source
Original letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase, October 26, 1931: box 49, folder 20.84, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Date Created
1924-05-03
Is Format Of
Digital reproduction of original letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase, October 26, 1931.
Is Part Of
Chase Collection (MS 14), box 49, folder 20.84, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Isleworth Collection, Citrus Collection, Chase Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.
Is Referenced By
Folder referenced in Chase Collection finding guide, http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/spec/pkyonge/chase.htm.
Format
image/jpg
Extent
164 KB
Medium
1-page typewritten letter
Language
eng
Type
Text
Coverage
Asheville, North Carolina
Isleworth Grove, Windermere, Florida
Accrual Method
Donation
Mediator
History Teacher
Economics Teacher
Geography Teacher
Provenance
Entire Chase Collection is comprised of four separate accessions from various donors, including Cecilia Johnson, the granddaughter of Joshua Coffin Chase, and the children of Randall Chase.
Rights Holder
The displayed collection item is housed at Special and Area Studies Collections at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. Rights to this item belong to the said institution, and therefore inquiries about the item should be directed there. RICHES of Central Florida has obtained permission from Special and Area Studies Collections at the University of Florida to display this item for educational purposes only.
Contributing Project
Special and Area Studies Collections, University of Florida
Digital Collections (UFDC), University of Florida
Curator
Cepero, Laura
Digital Collection
Source Repository
University of Florida, Special and Area Studies Collections
External Reference
Warner, S.C. "Development of Marketing Citrus Fruits in Florida." Florida State Horticultural Society vol. 36 (1923): 198-200.
Hopkins, James T. Fifty Years of Citrus, the Florida Citrus Exchange: 1909-1959. Gainesville, Florida: University of Florida Press: 1960.
"Joshua Coffin Chase (1858-1948)." Florida Citrus Hall of Fame. Copyright 2012. http://floridacitrushalloffame.com/index.php/inductees/inductee-name/?ref_cID=89&bID=0&dd_asId=960.
"Sydney Chase Sr. (1860-1941)." Florida Citrus Hall of Fame. Copyright 2012. http://floridacitrushalloffame.com/index.php/inductees/inductee-name/?ref_cID=89&bID=0&dd_asId=600.
Transcript
October 26, 1951.
Mr. S. O. Chase,
P.O.Box 23,
Asheville, N. C.
Dear Syd:
This morning the writer spent several hours at Isleworth, driving over the main part of the grove with Crowell, Hutchinson, and Magnuson. We now have ready for movement several cars of grapefruit of good quality, but the sizes run so strong to 96s that the writer felt it would be poor judgement to pick. I also find that unusually small sizes are the poorest, smallest, the writer has ever found on the place at this season of the year. The fruit is dropping due to the dry weather. Crowell is now irrigating for the second time the principal blocks of tangerines and pineapples. The condition of the trees throughout the property is good. We did not go over to the Lake Butler place.
I am writing F. W. Davis calling his attention to the early varieties at Isleworth which would be in every way suitable to go forward in the first cars of bagged fruit. All of these varieties have very good eating qualities at the present time. Magnuson tells me that up to the present time we are about 8' of rainfall shy of normal at Isleworth. A cold winter would tear us wide open.
There has been a great big improvement in the quantity and quality of the fruit on the trees on that portion of the Island that you root pruned and trimmed last season.
Affectionately,
JCC:HMR.
Mr. S. O. Chase,
P.O.Box 23,
Asheville, N. C.
Dear Syd:
This morning the writer spent several hours at Isleworth, driving over the main part of the grove with Crowell, Hutchinson, and Magnuson. We now have ready for movement several cars of grapefruit of good quality, but the sizes run so strong to 96s that the writer felt it would be poor judgement to pick. I also find that unusually small sizes are the poorest, smallest, the writer has ever found on the place at this season of the year. The fruit is dropping due to the dry weather. Crowell is now irrigating for the second time the principal blocks of tangerines and pineapples. The condition of the trees throughout the property is good. We did not go over to the Lake Butler place.
I am writing F. W. Davis calling his attention to the early varieties at Isleworth which would be in every way suitable to go forward in the first cars of bagged fruit. All of these varieties have very good eating qualities at the present time. Magnuson tells me that up to the present time we are about 8' of rainfall shy of normal at Isleworth. A cold winter would tear us wide open.
There has been a great big improvement in the quantity and quality of the fruit on the trees on that portion of the Island that you root pruned and trimmed last season.
Affectionately,
JCC:HMR.
Document Item Type Metadata
Original Format
1-page typewritten letter
Collection
Citation
Chase, Joshua Coffin, “Letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase (October 26, 1931),” RICHES, accessed May 29, 2024, https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/items/show/2742.