Letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase (March 26, 1926)
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase (March 26, 1926)
Alternative Title
Chase Correspondence (March 26, 1926)
Subject
Windermere (Fla.)
Chase, Sydney Octavius, 1860-1941
Chase, Joshua Coffin, 1858-1948
Citrus fruit industry--Florida
Citrus--Florida
Chase and Company (Sanford, Fla.)
Packing-houses--Quality control
Orange industry--Florida
Oranges--Florida
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 with Mr. Miller and Mr. Gorman of the Fruit Auction Company of New York and suggestions for improving fruit packing.
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, March 26, 1926: 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
1928-03-26
Is Format Of
Digital reproduction of original letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase, March 26, 1926.
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
187 KB
Medium
1-page typewritten letter
Language
eng
Type
Text
Coverage
Isleworth Grove, Windermere, Florida
Chase & Company Office, Sanford, 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
March 20, 1928.
Mr. S. O. Chase,
Chase & Company,
Sanford, Florida.
Dear Syd,
ISLEWORTH PACK: Today the writer visited Isleworth taking with him Messrs. Miller and Gorman of the Fruit Auction Company of New York. Mr. Gorman is the chief auctioneer on his first visit to Florida. Both of these gentlemen are sincerely interested in having the Isleworth cars sell for as much money as the same variety from any other packing house in Orange County. They are of the opinion that the Lake Apopka packing house under the Fellowship and Crane brands beat us out not in quality but on a heavier bulge pack.
These gentlemen inspected the boxes at Isleworth and were of the opinion that the nailer-up was not bringing the center strap close enough down to the fruit. There is a transit shrinkage and when the boxes reach the other end the lid stands away from the fruit, and the oranges are loose giving the impression that there is under-sizing and slack pack.
Both of these gentlemen were of the opinion that some of this trouble would be overcome if we did away with the center cleat, and the writer believes that this would be advisable. If you have any more crate material coming, please have this center cleat omitted, or you can include additional tops that are not cleated. They thought possibly that the two piece top without the cleat in the center drawn down snug in the center would give the appearance of a bigger fatter bulge. It might be advisable to try out these suggestions at the earliest possible moment.
I am passing them on to you for what they are worth. They also advocated the use of the gum box, as they thought it make a more attractive package. The writer does not all together agree with them in this matter.
Yours truly,
JCC-g
Mr. S. O. Chase,
Chase & Company,
Sanford, Florida.
Dear Syd,
ISLEWORTH PACK: Today the writer visited Isleworth taking with him Messrs. Miller and Gorman of the Fruit Auction Company of New York. Mr. Gorman is the chief auctioneer on his first visit to Florida. Both of these gentlemen are sincerely interested in having the Isleworth cars sell for as much money as the same variety from any other packing house in Orange County. They are of the opinion that the Lake Apopka packing house under the Fellowship and Crane brands beat us out not in quality but on a heavier bulge pack.
These gentlemen inspected the boxes at Isleworth and were of the opinion that the nailer-up was not bringing the center strap close enough down to the fruit. There is a transit shrinkage and when the boxes reach the other end the lid stands away from the fruit, and the oranges are loose giving the impression that there is under-sizing and slack pack.
Both of these gentlemen were of the opinion that some of this trouble would be overcome if we did away with the center cleat, and the writer believes that this would be advisable. If you have any more crate material coming, please have this center cleat omitted, or you can include additional tops that are not cleated. They thought possibly that the two piece top without the cleat in the center drawn down snug in the center would give the appearance of a bigger fatter bulge. It might be advisable to try out these suggestions at the earliest possible moment.
I am passing them on to you for what they are worth. They also advocated the use of the gum box, as they thought it make a more attractive package. The writer does not all together agree with them in this matter.
Yours truly,
JCC-g
Document Item Type Metadata
Original Format
1-page typewritten letter
Collection
Citation
Chase, Joshua Coffin, “Letter from Joshua Coffin Chase to Sydney Octavius Chase (March 26, 1926),” RICHES, accessed April 27, 2024, https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/items/show/2727.