Citrus Collection

Citrus Collection

Citrus Collection

Chase and Company (Sanford, Fla.)

Citrus--Florida

Citrus fruit industry--Florida

Chase & Company was established by Joshua Chase and his brother Sydney 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, Florida, 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. 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.

Belair Grove Collection, Citrus Collection, Chase Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.

Isleworth Grove Collection, Citrus Collection, Chase Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.

Chase Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.

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Collection

Belair Grove, Lake Mary, Florida

Isleworth Grove, Windermere, Florida

Sanford, Florida

Special and Area Studies Collections, University of Florida

Cepero, Laura

Marra, Katherine

Weaver, Brian. The Citrus Industry in the Sunshine State. Charleston, SC: Arcadia, 1999.