Letter from Henry L. DeForest to Anna M. Sperry DeForest (December 8, 1881)
Sanford (Fla.)
A personal letter from Henry L. DeForest (1857-1902) to his wife, Anna M. Sperry DeForest. In the letter, DeForest discusses Henry Shelton Sanford's (1823-1891) recovery from an illness, DeForest's purchase of land from Sanford, the "celebrated occultist" Dr. Agnew's visit to Sanford, Mr. Case's hotel, and DeForest's hope to see Anna in the winter.<br /><br />DeForest was born in Derby, Connecticut, and knew Henry Shelton Sanford since childhood. In 1870, DeForest came to Florida seeking better health in the warmer climate. He became Sanford's agent and helped carry out the work of establishing Sanford. He managed the contracted workers for Sanford's groves, especially the contracted Swedes that Sanford brought over in 1871. By the 1880s, he had married Anna M. Sperry, also from Derby, and had become an established businessman and grove owner in Sanford. He built his general store in 1887, which was the second oldest brick building in Downtown Sanford. His general store was the building where the historic September 1887 fire stopped. DeForest built other commercial buildings in downtown. His home, known as "The Palms," was located at 105 Aldean Drive and still stands today.
DeForest, Henry L.
Original letter from Henry L. DeForest to Anna M. Sperry DeForest, December 8, 1881: DeForest Collection, <a href="http://www.sanfordfl.gov/index.aspx?page=456" target="_blank">Sanford Museum</a>, Sanford, Florida.
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Derby, Connecticut
Sanford, Florida
First Street Between Palmetto Avenue and Magnolia Avenue
Streets--Florida
Grocers--United States
Buildings--Florida
Sanford (Fla.)
Avenues
First Street between Palmetto Avenue and Magnolia Avenue in Sanford, Florida in 1882. When General Henry S. Sanford (1823-1891) first established the City of Sanford, he laid out the streets on a grid plan. Streets running toward Lake Monroe were given names of native Florida trees, while streets running parallel to the lake were numbered.
Also pictured in the photograph was the Sanford General Store, founded by Henry Sanford (1823-1891) in March 1871. The store was created with hopes of bolstering the success of the Sanford Sawmill, opened the year prior. The creation of the store was the result of advising offered to Sanford by Edwin Eastman. Eastman advised that a general store would be the surest way to improve profitability of the ailing sawmill, as mill employees would be paid goods from the store. The general store’s initial years of operation were plagued by problems. The store suffered from periodic shortages of crucial supplies and local farmers, faced with poor agricultural production, had a difficult time turning their produce into the cash needed to purchase goods. The only way Sanford proved able to ensure consistent sales was through the extension of credit to local settlers. This approach proved untenable, however, as impoverished customers proved unable to pay their debts to the store. In January 1873, the store was owed $4,000 by delinquent customers, a number that ballooned to $25,000 by early 1879. As Sanford’s personal financial state suffered, maintaining the stock of groceries became increasingly difficult. By March 1879, Sanford, unable to continue the operation of the general store, disposed of the remaining supplies and leased the building, alongside the wharf and its attached warehouse, for three years terms at $550 per year. At the time that this photograph was taken in 1881, the store was being operated by Michael J. Doyle, an immigrant from Ireland and originally settled in Volusia County prior to the Civil War.
Chase & Company
Original 8.5 x 11 inch black and white photograph by Chase & Company, 1882: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 211, folder 3.30A, item No. 1, <a href="http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/spec/" target="_blank">Special and Area Studies Collections</a>, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
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Sanford, Florida