Letter from Joshua Chase to brother Sydney Chase (April 16, 1929)

Letter from Joshua Chase to brother Sydney Chase (April 16, 1929)

Chase Correspondence (April 16, 1929)

Windermere (Fla.)

Chase, Sydney Octavius, 1860-1941

Chase, Joshua Coffin, 1858-1948

Citrus fruit industry--Florida

Citrus--Florida

Winter Garden (Fla.)

Chase and Company (Sanford, Fla.)

Florida Citrus Exchange

An original letter of correspondence between brothers and business partners Joshua Coffin Chase and Sydney Octavius Chase. Topics discussed in the letter include obtaining maps of Orange County from the Orange County Chamber of Commerce, obtaining blueprints from the Road Department of Orange County, an enclosed letter to Dr. Wilom Newll, the residence of a Florida Citrus Exchange packing house employee at Isleworth Grove, and the free boarding of employees at the Chase house in 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, Joshua Coffin

Original letter from Joshua Chase to brother Sydney Chase, April 16, 1929: box 49, folder 20.84, Chase Collection (MS 14), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.

1929-04-16

Digital reproduction of original letter from Joshua Chase to brother Sydney Chase, April 16, 1929.

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.

Folder referenced in Chase Collection finding guide, http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/spec/pkyonge/chase.htm.

image/jpg

174 KB

1-page typewritten letter

eng

Text

Isleworth Grove, Windermere, Florida

Chase & Company Office, Sanford, Florida

Donation

History Teacher

Economics Teacher

Geography Teacher

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.

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.

Special and Area Studies Collections, University of Florida

Digital Collections (UFDC), University of Florida

Cepero, Laura

University of Florida, Special and Area Studies Collections

"The History of Seald-Sweet." Seald Sweet International. http://www.sealdsweet.com/welcome/our-history.php.

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.

Chase Correspondence, Box 49, folder 20.84

April 16, 1929

Mr. S. O. Chase,
Sanford, Florida.

Dear Syd:

Yothers tells me that the maps of Orange County were supplied by the Orange County Chamber of commerce. Will arrange to send you one or more copies this P.M. May also be able to secure a blue print copy from the Road Department of Orange County. Will do my best.

Enclosed find copy of a letter to Dr. Wilmon Newll [sic] which is self-explanatory.

Syd tells me that there is a man boarding with his sister at Isleworth who works in the Exchange packing house at Winter Garden. The writer was under the impression that this party lived at Winter Garden and worked at Isleworth. Tried to get you over the telephone to exchange views on the subject and left word to have you call me up.

Somehow it is hardly fair to have the employees at Isleworth living in our house free of rent, to have boarders whether members of the family or not. This matter will have to be handled carefully as we don’t want to bring about enmity, at the same time we don’t want to take any chances. We are in hopes that this man can be excluded from the place so that he will not be running to and fro and perhaps carrying infection.

Very truly yours,



JCC:AF.

1-page typewritten letter