Letter from E. R. Trafford per William Beardall to Henry Shelton Sanford (February 6, 1884)
Sanford (Fla.)
Sanford, Henry S. (Henry Shelton), 1823-1891
Real estate--Florida
Investments--Florida
Letter from E. R. Trafford per William Beardall to Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891), dated February 6, 1884. In the letter, Trafford requested Sanford's signature for two enclosed deeds. The first deed was for Helen M. Randall, who bought several lots in the town of Sanford. The second deed was for Gustaf Lundquist, who bought two 5-acre lots in the "Swede settlement" of the Sanford Grant lands.<br /><br />Trafford was a company agent for the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC) from 1882 to 1886. The FLCC was a joint-stock venture that invested in Florida land development and sales in the 1880s and early 1890s. The company was formed by Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) with help from a group of British investors. The original impetus for the company's formation was Sanford's inability to continue his land acquisition and development efforts in Florida independently. Located at 13 Austin Friars, the company was officially registered in London on June 10, 1880. With the formation of the FLCC, all of Henry Sanford's Florida properties were transferred to the company in exchange for a £10,000 cash payment and another £50,000 in company stock. Sanford was named President and Chairman of the Board.In 1880, the company owned 26,000 acres scattered across Florida, including in the cities of Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Sanford, as well as in Alachua County and Marion County.<br /><br />Almost from the outset, there was serious friction between the British board members and Henry Sanford. Disagreements erupted over business strategy, as Sanford frequently proposed initiatives deemed too bold for the cautious British investors. From 1882 to 1892, the company saw steady, if meager, profits. Most of its income came from the sale of lots in the city of Sanford. From 1885 until 1890, the company, while remaining solvent, continued to see declining profits. From 1886 to 1890, the profits were so modest that the company declined to pay dividends on its yearly profits. Needed improvements and developments in the city of Sanford during the late 1880s sapped much of the company's income. Following Henry Sanford's death in 1891, many of the investors lost the motivation to continue. On September 15, 1892, the various directors acted to dissolve the company. Its assets, including roughly 65,000 acres of Florida land, were divided among shareholders.
Trafford, E. R.
Beardall, William
Original letter from E. R. Trafford per William Beardall to Henry Shelton Sanford, February 6, 1884: box 54, folder 18, subfolder 54.18.13, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, <a href="http://www.sanfordfl.gov/index.aspx?page=456" target="_blank">Sanford Museum</a>, Sanford, Florida.
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Sanford, Florida
Letter from E. R. Trafford to Henry Shelton Sanford (February 16, 1884)
Sanford, Henry S. (Henry Shelton), 1823-1891
Sanford (Fla.)
Sawmills--United States
A letter from E. R. Trafford to Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891), dated February 16, 1884. In the letter, Trafford provided Sanford with updates about Sanford, Florida. He notes that the signed deeds for Helen M. Randall and Gustaf Lundquist had been received. He also wrote that "the mill is now in full blast," indicating that 60,000 feet of logs just received from the railroad, the first raft of 70,000 feet will arrive from down the river tonight. Trafford concluded the letter optimistically noting that "everything improving [sic]."<br /><br />Trafford was a company agent for the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC) from 1882 to 1886. The FLCC was a joint-stock venture that invested in Florida land development and sales in the 1880s and early 1890s. The company was formed by Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) with help from a group of British investors. The original impetus for the company's formation was Sanford's inability to continue his land acquisition and development efforts in Florida independently. Located at 13 Austin Friars, the company was officially registered in London on June 10, 1880. With the formation of the FLCC, all of Henry Sanford's Florida properties were transferred to the company in exchange for a £10,000 cash payment and another £50,000 in company stock. Sanford was named President and Chairman of the Board.In 1880, the company owned 26,000 acres scattered across Florida, including in the cities of Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Sanford, as well as in Alachua County and Marion County.<br /><br />Almost from the outset, there was serious friction between the British board members and Henry Sanford. Disagreements erupted over business strategy, as Sanford frequently proposed initiatives deemed too bold for the cautious British investors. From 1882 to 1892, the company saw steady, if meager, profits. Most of its income came from the sale of lots in the city of Sanford. From 1885 until 1890, the company, while remaining solvent, continued to see declining profits. From 1886 to 1890, the profits were so modest that the company declined to pay dividends on its yearly profits. Needed improvements and developments in the city of Sanford during the late 1880s sapped much of the company's income. Following Henry Sanford's death in 1891, many of the investors lost the motivation to continue. On September 15, 1892, the various directors acted to dissolve the company. Its assets, including roughly 65,000 acres of Florida land, were divided among shareholders.
Trafford, E. R.
Original letter from E. R. Trafford to Henry Shelton Sanford, February 16, 1884: box 54, folder 18, subfolder 54.18.17, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, <a href="http://www.sanfordfl.gov/index.aspx?page=456" target="_blank">Sanford Museum</a>, Sanford, Florida.
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Sanford, Florida
Letter from William Beardall to Henry Shelton Sanford (February 15, 1884)
Real estate--Florida
Investments--Florida
A letter from William Beardall to Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891), dated February 15, 1884. In the letter, Beardall provided updates of several buyers' payments. He noted that J. C. Thorpe and D. B. Graves "are paid up all" and that George E. Rogers is "awaiting delivery of deed." Gustaf Lundquist, he added, "owes $100 which he is willing to pay on delivery of deed." <br /><br />Beardall was an Englishman who worked for the Florida Land and Colonization Company (FLCC) at its local office in Sanford, Florida. He served as an assistant to the company agent, E. R. Trafford. Beardall had worked previously for the Scottish industrialist Sir William MacKinnon before joining the FLCC. The FLCC was a joint-stock venture that invested in Florida land development and sales in the 1880s and early 1890s. The company was formed by Henry Shelton Sanford with help from a group of British investors. Located at 13 Austin Friars in London, the company was officially registered in London on June 10, 1880. With the formation of the FLCC, all of Henry Sanford's Florida properties were transferred to the company in exchange for a ₤10,000 cash payment and another ₤50,000 in company stock. Sanford was named President and Chairman of the Board. In 1880, the company owned 26,000 acres scattered across Florida, including in the cities of Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Sanford, as well as in Alachua and Marion counties.<br /><br />Almost from the outset, there was serious friction between the British board members and Henry Sanford. Disagreements erupted over business strategy, as Sanford frequently proposed initiatives deemed too bold for the cautious British investors. As a result of consistently meager profits from its inception, following Henry Sanford's death in 1891 many of the investors lost the motivation to continue. On September 15, 1892, the various directors acted to dissolve the company. Its assets, including roughly 65,000 acres of Florida land, were divided among shareholders.
Beardall, William
Original letter from William Beardall to Henry Shelton Sanford, February 15, 1884: box 54, folder 18, subfolder 54.18.16, Henry Shelton Sanford Papers, General Henry S. Sanford Memorial Library, <a href="http://www.sanfordfl.gov/index.aspx?page=456" target="_blank">Sanford Museum</a>, Sanford, Florida.
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eng
Text
Sanford, Florida